Echo Show 8 review

HD smart display with Alexa – stay connected with video calling

In just two short years, Amazon’s line of Alexa-powered smart displays has expanded from one oddly shaped device to three sleek units. They all share similar designs and features but with three different sizes and price points. The 10-inch Echo Show occupies the top of the line, with the largest screen, loudest speakers, and highest price, while the alarm clock-like Echo Show 5 is less expensive and fits much easier on a nightstand.

The newest model, the $129.99 Echo Show 8, splits the difference: it’s got an eight-inch screen and the same dual two-inch speakers and bass port as the 10-inch model, but it has a price that’s much closer to the considerably smaller Echo Show 5. It can do nearly all of the same things as the other Echo Show models, making it an ideal pick for someone who wants an Alexa-powered smart display with great sound without having to shell out more than $200 for the privilege.

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Since the Echo Show 8’s capabilities are so similar to the other Echo Show models, I encourage you to read my reviews of the 10-inch model and the Echo Show 5, which cover a lot of the details with the experience. As mentioned, the Echo Show 8’s capabilities are closer to the 10-inch Show than the five-inch model: it can play video from a variety of sources (including Hulu, which isn’t available on the Echo Show 5); make video calls to other Echo Show devices or smartphones with the Alexa app; and play music from Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, and others. It shares the same wedge-shaped design as the other two models, complete with a fabric back and two color options (white or black).

The display on the Show 8 isn’t particularly high-res, but it is bright and easy to see from across the room. There are sensors on the front to automatically adjust the screen’s brightness, but it doesn’t have the ability to tune the color to the ambient lighting in a room like Google’s Nest Hub smart displays can.

Where the Echo Show 8 stands out is in its sound quality: since it has the same speakers as the 10-inch model, it sounds remarkably similar, and it has the same ability to fill a small room with rich sound. My only complaint with the Show 8’s sound quality is that the bass can get a bit boomy, but that’s easily fixed with a tweak to the equalizer settings on the device or in the Alexa smartphone app. It’s much better-sounding than Google’s Nest Hub devices or Facebook’s Portal, and it’s much fuller than the Echo Show 5.

In fact, the Show 8 sounds so good that I’m not sure why you’d spend $100 more for the 10-inch model if listening to music is the thing you plan to do the most. The larger model’s screen is obviously slightly bigger, but thanks to the large fonts and icons in the Echo Show software, it’s still very easy to see information on the Echo Show 8 at a glance.

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