APPLE VS AMAZON: $129 VS $50
Apple AirPods 4 vs Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen). Only one can reign supreme. Both will be purchased.
Apple AirPods 4
by Apple
$129
Two beans. One hundred twenty-nine dollars. You'll buy them anyway.
PROS
- +Sound quality that makes your old earbuds feel like tin cans on a string
- +Spatial Audio turns your skull into a concert hall
- +The case is so small you will lose it at least twice
CONS
- -You are paying $129 for something you will drop in a toilet
- -Everyone on the subway already has them, you absolute conformist
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)
by Amazon
$50
The surveillance device that plays your Spotify. What a time to be alive.
PROS
- +Sets timers faster than reaching for your phone ever could
- +Surprisingly decent speaker for a fabric hockey puck
- +Smart home control for people who think light switches are too much work
CONS
- -It is always listening. Always.
- -Alexa's jokes are a war crime against comedy
THE NUMBERS
SCORE BREAKDOWN
THE VERDICT
These products solve completely different problems, which makes comparing them perfect for this site. The AirPods go in your ears and play music while you pretend not to hear people on the subway. The Echo Dot sits in your kitchen and answers questions wrong while recording everything you say. The AirPods cost $129 for something you will lose in a couch cushion. The Echo Dot costs $50 for a device that laughs at 3 AM. Dollar for dollar, the Echo Dot delivers more features, more existential dread, and more unsolicited product recommendations. The AirPods deliver better sound and the quiet satisfaction of fitting into Apple's ecosystem. Pick your surveillance preference.