Amazon Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen) Deals The Amazon Echo Show 8 hasn't been around very long, but in this day and age it really maintained its role as the middle child of the Echo Show lineup. Offering more features and functionality than the Amazon Echo Show 5 at a significantly lower price than the Amazon Echo Show 10, the Amazon Echo Show offers excellent value for money. What the second generation of the mid-range smart display claims to offer is a new 13-megapixel wide-angle camera that pans and zooms digitally during video calls and a new octa-core processor that helps. The screen to switch between applications more quickly. It also has two stereo speakers on board and the eponymous 8-inch HD display with adaptive color. The result, so far, looks like a functional and aesthetically pleasing smart display that can make calls to family and friends and stream your favorite songs and shows from services like Amazon Music Unlimited and Amazon Prime Video. We're still not sure if it's worth upgrading from an original Echo Show 8 to one of the new features, but if you're new to the smart home space and looking for a smart display, the new Amazon Echo Show 8 might be a good option. for you.
- Amazon Echo Show 8 (129.99nd Gen) at Amazon for € XNUMX
Price and release date
The Amazon Echo Show 8 will be available from June 9, 2021 for $129.99 / £119.99 / AU$199 in two colors, Charcoal and Glacier White. For comparison, the Amazon Echo Show 10 costs $249.99 / £239.99 / AU$399.99, while the new Amazon Echo Show 5 (Gen.2) costs $84.99 / £74.99. / AU$119. The Amazon Echo Show 8 falls nicely between these two and is a good compromise in terms of price and functionality. That said, the Amazon Echo Show 8 is not only the mid-range champion of Amazon's lineup, but it's also priced between the new Google Nest Hub 2 and the Google Nest Hub Max. We'll compare the two below, but if you just look at the sticker price, the Echo Show 8 has a clear advantage here.
Integrated
Admittedly, there isn't a huge cosmetic difference between the old Amazon Echo Show 8 and the new Amazon Echo Show 8; the cases are practically the same. On the front panel you'll find the new 13MP camera and 1280-inch 800 x 8 resolution screen, but otherwise there's nothing else to see. Atop the Echo Show 8 are control buttons for volume up/down and Alexa, but there's also the mute button that turns off the microphone, and a slider to cover the camera. It's a non-negotiable item for the privacy enthusiast, and it's great to have it here. Speaking of microphones, the Echo Show 8 (2021) also has the same quad mic setup as the previous iteration, which works in a mid to long range and should be able to hear you through loud music; however, at times, you may need to repeat it. a few times to make Alexa listen to you.
(Image credit: Avenir) Inside, the Echo Show 8 (2021) has the MediaTek MT8183 octa-core processor, compared to the current Echo Show 8, which has a MediaTek MT 8163. In theory, that should help. to the smart display feeling a bit livelier than its predecessor. In practice, however, we have had trouble showing that this is the case; in fact, both are relatively snappy, though videos seem to start a bit quicker on the new Echo Show. Last but not least are the two 2-inch speakers that are hidden behind the Amazon Echo Show 8's mesh back. These speakers aren't the best speakers (more details below) but having two drivers is definitely better than one.
So what does the Amazon Echo Show 8 like to use? Well, it's pretty similar to many other Amazon Echo Show devices. It's a visual display, albeit at a slightly lower resolution than we'd like, with tons of information about your day. The program will often display on-screen messages about what Alexa can do ("Alexa, make a call"), events on your calendar, or data and weather information for your area. Of course, appeal is the raison d'être of the new Amazon Echo Show 8, so that's where you'll find its greatest strength. With a 13-megapixel camera, call quality should improve significantly with very little grain, even in low light. The 13MP camera makes for a sharper image most of the time, of course, but it also allows the Amazon Echo Show 8 to zoom in when you're sitting further from the camera, which is a neat trick. sit very close to your program.
(Image credit: Avenir) How you use this feature depends on how many video calls you make (the Echo now supports Echo-to-Echo and Zoom calls), but we appreciate the extra attention Amazon has given to the functionality at a time when we spend more time than ever on video calls. That said, we can't talk about an Amazon smart device without talking about Alexa. To find out what Alexa can do, you must already have an Alexa device or complete some of the basic tutorials. That being said, Alexa's functionality has grown so much over the years thanks to its ever-growing library of skills that you can do more than you ever imagined or learned from tutorials. For example, Alexa can tell you how good the air quality is around you by asking "Alexa, how is the air quality today?" Or it can tell you how to pronounce words in another language (however, it can't translate real-time conversations like Google does). However, for every query that Alexa can answer, there are half a dozen more that it can't, which can be frustrating for people who have a hard time understanding when a question becomes too complex for them to handle. 'Alexa can reply. them ("Alexa, what's the risk?" vs. "Alexa, who goes first in Risk?") and often forces you to remember Alexa's commands verbatim. When it comes to audio quality, the Amazon Echo Show 8 has certainly pushed the midrange to make dialogue and conversation much clearer, but at the expense of the high and low end of the audio spectrum. Songs like Olivia Rodrigo's Good 4 U have exceptionally clear lyrics and bass, but the snares get lost in the mix as do the choruses, especially when compared to the Echo Show 10, which has bass response. Absolutely ridiculous for a speaker that is almost the same size.
(Image credit: Avenir) The silver lining here? It's incredibly easy to group Alexa speakers into groups that can then play the same song in different rooms. This is perfect if, for example, you put the Amazon Echo Show 8 in a kitchen and have something more substantial like the Amazon Echo Studio in your living room that plays the same song. On its own, the sound quality of the Amazon Echo Show 8 still leaves a lot to be desired, but when it's part of a larger group, it doesn't stand out from the crowd quite as much. It is also a similar story to show. The Amazon Echo Show 1280's 800 x 8 resolution display won't blow you away, especially compared to tablets or laptops, but it's fine for watching a cooking tutorial video or a short show on Amazon Prime. The picture isn't cinematic, to be sure, especially without HDR support, but it's decent for its size. Finally, in terms of smart home features, it's worth noting that the Amazon Echo Show 8 doesn't have a built-in Zigbee hub. It can still connect to many devices via Bluetooth, but you don't want to buy this to be the brains of your burgeoning smart home only to find that some light bulbs, smart thermostats, smart cameras, and doorbells will require longer setup processes. . because the Echo Show 8 doesn't have a built-in hub. It's a small point, of course, but the difference in difficulty between setting up devices with a Zigbee hub and without can be quite significant.
(Image credit: Avenir)
Early verdict
We've only had the Amazon Echo Show 8 with us for a few days, so we can't say for sure if it's worth it or not yet. That said, compared to other smart displays around the house, the Amazon Echo Show 8 offers the best camera of all (13MP vs. 6.5MP on the Google Nest Hub Max) and a wide range of features that make it more appealing. option. We're not crazy about sound quality or HD/SDR picture quality, but people looking for quality video calls and a cheap alternative to the Amazon Echo Show 10 will surely find it here. Price - Amazon Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen): ▼