Picture of the Amazon Echo Dot 2nd Gen speaker, original package, with Items inside unpacked.

Unpacking Echo Dot 2nd Gen Speaker

Not too complicated packaging for the Amazon Echo Dot smart speaker.  Very simple to unbox, power up, and prepare it for setup. This post demos unpacking the Echo Dot 2nd Gen speaker.  It also covers connecting it to power.





Unpacking Echo Dot 2nd Gen Speaker, What’s On the Box

For our vision impaired and blind readers, the Echo Dot comes in a blue box, graduating shades of blue actually, that turns from deep sky blue at the top, to a sort of greenish blue cyan tone at the bottom. There’s lots of print on the box as we describe next.

Sample Alexa Commands

There’s a picture of roughly three quarters of the Dot on the front (black version), along with some examples of Alexa commands this Dot can respond to, such as, “Alexa, play today’s hits on Pandora,”  “Alexa, wake me at six AM,”  and “Alexa, dim my lights.”

Picture of the smart speaker in original package, front view. Unpacking Echo Dot 2nd.
The Dot speaker in original package, front view. Unpacking Echo Dot 2nd.

What the Alexa Dot Does

The back of the box, shown in the next photo, has more information.  In summary, it says that the Alexa virtual assistant is voice activated, that the Alexa voice service is constantly learning from you using it, how to better understand you, and then it lists some of the things she can do.  These include answer questions (trivia et al), reading the latest news headlines, set numerous timers and alarms, and manage all sorts of smart home devices such as thermostats, light bulbs, switched power outlets, and wall light switches.

Even More Features

The box then mentions that you can connect the Dot to external speakers with an audio patch cable, or pair it with Bluetooth speakers for louder, higher quality sound.  You can then hear your favorite streaming services in high fidelity, such as Pandora, TuneIn Radio, iHeart, Spotify, Amazon Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, and others.





Unpacking Echo Dot 2nd Gen Speaker, Step by Step

1. Take Off the Outer Plastic Bag

Firstly, it’s nice that the clear plastic bag is secured shut with easily removed tape.  So with a little patience, we found that we could tear off the tape gently, without ripping the bag; this, in case we must return the product for any reason.

Picture of the speaker, showing the original packaging, back view. Unpacking Echo Dot 2nd.
The original packaging, back view. Unpacking Echo Dot 2nd.

The box is equipped with a tab (or lip) with a hole in the center, on the box  top, presumably for hanging on a store display.

2. Gently Peel Sealing Tape Away from Box Top

Secondly, the box is sealed with a piece of thick tape.

We removed this tape, careful not to damage the box.  But if in a hurry, you could score it with a sharp knife as well.  In fact, the presence of this tape, intact, indicates that you probably have a genuine, new, and unopened product.

3. Remove Box Contents to Continue Unpacking the Echo Dot 2nd Gen

Then, we opened the box and slid out the cardboard protector that holds the Dot, the power adapter, the USB cable, and the user guides.  Shown next.

Picture of the speaker package, with Inner spacer protector container pulled out.
The speaker package, with inner spacer protector container pulled out. Unpacking Echo Dot 2nd.

4. Check the Box Contents

As shown next, you should find all these items in your Dot box.  Specifically, it should have the Echo Dot 2nd gen unit, a USB power cable, a USB power adapter, and two mini pamphlets (manuals).

Picture of the Dot speaker, original package, with Items inside unpacked.
The 2nd Gen Dot speaker, original package, with Items inside unpacked.




5. Remove the Plastic Cellophane from All Items

Furthermore, like with many shiny plastic surfaced devices, the Echo Dot include protective plastic affixed to its top and sides.  So does the USB power adapter.

Picture of the Amazon Echo Dot 2nd Gen Speaker, Out of Box, with protective plastic removed. Ready for plugin.
The speaker, out of box, with protective plastic removed. Ready for plugin. Unpacking Echo Dot 2nd.

6. Connect the Echo Dot 2nd Gen to Continue Unpacking

The Echo dot runs on USB power.  So find the cable and USB power pack in the box.

Picture of the speaker, plugged in and booting.
The speaker plugged in and booting. Unpacking Echo Dot 2nd.

7. Connect Power Cable to the Echo Dot 2nd Gen

Next, connect the micro USB end of the included cable to the Dot.  However, do not force it.  Indeed, if the plug fails to go in easily, it may be upside down, and forcing it could damage either the plug on the cord, or the port in the speaker.  Additionally, with the Dot controls facing up, insert the USB plug into the port beside the audio jack, with the two dimple points (the larger side) of the micro USB plug facing down.  Moreover, it’s best to use the provided cable to guarantee ample current flow.

8. Connect the Cable to the Power Supply

Then, connect the other end (the A end) (the larger end) of the cable to the power adapter.

9. Plug this Adapter into Mains Power to Continue Unpacking the Echo Dot 2nd Gen

Next, plug the adapter into a 120-volt AC outlet, as shown in the previous picture.





10. The Echo Dot Then Boots Up

The Echo Dot then boots while its light ring flashes deep blue with a spinning cyan blip.  Then, after perhaps twenty or thirty seconds, the light ring turns orange, and the Dot enters setup mode.

11. Follow Our Echo Dot 2nd Gen Setup Instructions

Finally, we wrote a piece here that details how to connect the Dot to your home Wi-Fi network and then to the Alexa app.

12. Enjoy your new Echo Dot! 

Related Posts to Unpacking Echo Dot 2nd Gen

  1. AC Power Adapter Specs for Amazon Alexa Echo Dot 2 Smart Speaker
  2. Amazon Alexa Echo Dot Setup Help Instructions
  3. Change Echo Dot Wake Word, How To
  4. Echo Dot 2 Buttons Guide, How to Use Them
  5. Can you Connect Echo Dot to JBL Speaker ?




References for Unpacking Echo Dot 2nd Gen

  1. Alexa Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
  2. Amazon Echo Help Pages
  3. Amazon Echo on Wikipedia

Revision History

  • 2019-05-25: Added key phrase targeting for ‘Unpacking Echo Dot 2nd’, removed ad scripts code, and added tags and links.
  • 2016-12-16: Originally published.