Amazon recently updated a couple of its Alexa-based Echo Show smart displays. The new Echo Show 8 (second gen) saw a couple of enhancements over its predecessor, but the smaller Echo Show 5 has received an even smaller refresh.
There are only three basic changes in the new $84.99 Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen): it has a 2-megapixel camera instead of the 1-megapixel sensor of the first model; it comes in blue as well as the black and white color options; and the 3.5mm output jack on the back is gone. Unlike the larger Echo Show 8, the new 5 didn’t get a new processor, and its camera doesn’t feature the automatic panning and cropping that the Echo Show 8 and 10 offer.
That means that this new model provides effectively the same experience as the prior generation. It is a compact smart display that is best used as a smart alarm clock or as a desk operator in a home office. The 5.5-inch touch screen with a resolution of 960 x 480 pixels is bright and colorful, but not as easy to read from across the room as the larger Amazon smart displays. It works as a monitor for a security camera or video camera, but I don't want to watch video much - your phone is a better device for that. As you can see, Echo Show 5 supports Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and YouTube through its browser, but not as many video services as larger models. is large, but it is not easy to fill the room with sound. This is great for getting up in the morning or listening to a podcast at the table. Echo Show 5 also has a handy feature that allows you to snooze the alarm by tapping on the top of the device, which is much faster than when half of you wake up when you try to say "Alexa snooze". (The ability of the Google Nest Hub to simply stop an alarm with a word or snooze an alarm if you wave your hand in front of it is even better.)
Although the new model's camera has 2 megapixels instead of 1, it's not a big upgrade. Echo Show 5 doesn't support Zoom, so you can't use it for business calls, but it's great for dialing from one Alexa smart display to another, like the Alexa app on your phone. Perhaps an even more useful feature is the ability to view the camera through the Alexa app, so you can see what's going on at home when you're not. If you do not want to use the camera, you can block viewing with the built-in private shutter. Since the second generation Echo Show 5 has the same processor as the previous model, it is not much faster. In Amazon's line of smart surveillance, it's definitely going to be the most fun, you'll spend most of your time loading videos from your security camera and pausing to capture different screens or menus when you're communicating with them. Most people probably won't consider this a problem, but if you are hoping for a quick hike this season, unfortunately there is none. $ 10 more. You get your own blue-green-yellow chameleon color, a one-year subscription to the Kids Plus service and a two-year warranty against accidental damage. (A two-year warranty on damage to equipment that needs to be placed on a shelf or chest of drawers seems less valuable to me, but I'm sure a child out there will find a way to break the button.)
Echo Show's Kids Plus service is similar to that available on Amazon Fire HD Kids Edition tablets. It allows parents to adjust what content and features are available on their devices and to adapt to the age of their children. It will play music from Amazon Music and will not allow any explicit songs. It also removes some features from the show's touch interface, such as smart home control.
It is possible to have multiple profiles on tablets that can be passed on to different children, but Echo Show does not support this. If you plan to have more than one child to share with, you should only set an age limit of one. Model. It's still a practical compact smart display for a bedside table or desk, but it's not as powerful or fast as the larger Amazon Echo models. Due to the limitations of the camera, I am more interested in the model without a camera, similar to the Google Nest Hub, because the alarm clock in the bedroom is an ideal use here.
At $ 84.99, the new model is $ 5 cheaper than its predecessor at launch, but Amazon always has discounts on Echo devices and you'll probably find them lower than its regular retail price.
