The Echo Spot is one of Amazon's most innovative Alexa devices — and it's on sale for $90 for Black Friday (AMZN)

Amazon's Echo Spot is in an unusual position in the Echo family. 

It has a screen, but not one big enough for serious video-watching. It's small, but not as small as the Echo Dot. It can play music, but it doesn't sound as good as the Echo or Echo Show. 

So, what is it for?

After I tested the Spot for several weeks, I'm still not really sure. At launch, the Echo Spot's primary purpose seemed to be acting as a smart alarm clock for your bedside table or nightstand. It can certainly do that, but it also seems a bit overqualified for the position. 

The Echo Spot has Alexa. It can make video calls, play music videos, make visual lists and reminders, and play music. And — of course — it can display the time. 

It does all the things a regular Echo can do, but it does them with a 2.5-inch touchscreen. 

Here's what it's like to use the Echo Spot. 

SEE ALSO: A complete guide to the Amazon Echo family, the smart speakers that will change your home forever

Here's the Spot on my bedside table. On the surface, it just seems like a fancy digital clock.

It looks incredibly nice, though! In fact, I think it's one of the best-looking Amazon Echo devices you can buy. The shape is ergonomic, the materials feel high-quality, and it's about the size of a softball: not too big, not too small.

There's a camera above the screen, and you can use it to make video calls — just say, "Alexa, video call Jane," and it will call Jane. Even the software design on the Spot is modern and clean, as evidenced by the calling interface.