Amazon Upgrades Its Echo Show Smart Displays

Amazon today announced new versions of its Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 5 smart displays and introduced a new Echo Show 5 Kids edition.

“Customers love using Echo Show to stay in touch and in the past year have made nearly three times the number of video calls than the year prior,” Amazon senior vice president Tom Taylor says. “With these new Echo Show devices, we focused on communications, bringing a powerful camera and digital pan and zoom capabilities to the new Echo Show 8, upgrading the Echo Show 5 camera, and adding new AR effects to make video calls more fun and engaging.”

Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox

Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday — and get free copies of Paul Thurrott's Windows 11 and Windows 10 Field Guides (normally $9.99) as a special welcome gift!

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

The new Echo Show 8 features an 8-inch display as before, but it gains a 13 MP front-facing camera with a built-in shutter that can keep video call participants centered if they move around or more people join. It also features a new octa-core processor and dual stereo speakers, and a new shared home screen, and retails for $129.99.

The new Echo Show 5 features a 5.5-inch display as before, and it now comes in three colors, Charcoal, Glacier White, and the new Deep Sea Blue. It features an upgraded HD camera twice the resolution, and it retails for $84.99.

The all-new Echo Show 5 Kids costs $94.99 and comes in a fun new design. It offers personalization capabilities, access to Amazon Kids+ via a free one-year subscription, and a two-year worry-free guarantee. “If it breaks,” Amazon says, “return it, and Amazon will replace it for free.”

The three new Echo Show smart displays can be preordered today and will begin shipping next month.

Tagged with

Share post

Please check our Community Guidelines before commenting

Conversation 18 comments

  • Chris_Kez

    Premium Member
    12 May, 2021 - 10:47 am

    <p>Eh, call me an old fart but I’m still not interested in giving Amazon dedicated cameras in my home. </p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      12 May, 2021 - 11:22 am

      You old fart!

      I mean, you asked. 🙂

    • anoldamigauser

      Premium Member
      12 May, 2021 - 11:58 am

      <p>Especially one with pan and zoom so it can look around. What could possibly go wrong with that.</p>

    • Patrick3D

      12 May, 2021 - 3:41 pm

      <p>You can always do what countless business executives do with the camera built-in to their laptop: put a Post-it over it.</p>

    • lwetzel

      Premium Member
      12 May, 2021 - 7:49 pm

      <p>That is why I have taped a piece of paper over the camera on my Echo Show.</p><p><br></p>

      • chasethomas

        14 May, 2021 - 12:35 am

        <p>The new models come with camera cover built in so no need for unlimited access or tape!</p>

  • christianwilson

    Premium Member
    12 May, 2021 - 10:49 am

    <p>We have one and so do my in-laws. For whatever reason, video calls happen with the Echo Shows more than they ever did with FaceTime or Skype. I do not know why. </p>

    • murray judy

      12 May, 2021 - 12:31 pm

      <p><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">&nbsp;… video calls happen with the Echo Shows more than they ever did with FaceTime or Skype. I do not know why.</em></p><p><br></p><p>An always-on dedicated appliance is easier to use than a general purpose computer. Especially for people that don’t spend the bulk of their waking hours on a computer like most of us.</p>

  • mikegalos

    12 May, 2021 - 11:42 am

    <p>Amazing how consumer products now have better and smarter webcams than some premium laptops.</p>

  • crunchyfrog

    12 May, 2021 - 12:51 pm

    <p>Has anyone noticed that when you see a clock advertised the time is almost always 10:10? It’s an interesting phenomenon but check and you’ll see.</p>

    • christianwilson

      Premium Member
      12 May, 2021 - 1:39 pm

      <p>That is done in ads with analog clocks/watches because the hands are symmetrical. Curious that it is done with digital clocks, too. Similar reason, I suppose. Looks clean?</p>

  • will

    Premium Member
    12 May, 2021 - 1:04 pm

    <p>We have two shows, a larger one in the kitchen and a smaller one in the bedroom. IS anything else changed other than the cameras? Specs or sound or anything else?</p><p><br></p><p>We have background music playing on the kitchen on all the time….very nice….and the bedroom one has ocean waves for sleeping and wow does that make you fall asleep FAST…plus a good alarm clock.</p><p><br></p><p>But I also would like to look at Sonos….</p>

  • KingPCGeek

    Premium Member
    12 May, 2021 - 2:56 pm

    <p>I have a 5" show in the family room to view who is ringing the Ring doorbell and as a clock since who has a VCR anymore? It is very irritating that it just cannot stay on the clock face, it always has to be showing some other types of info. The only way to make the clock sticky is to enable do not disturb, which of course disables the Ring notifications.</p>

  • garrygbain

    12 May, 2021 - 3:41 pm

    <p>I think people have to get their head around being tracked and not having privacy. I know we should have privacy, but at the end of the day you’re being tracked on everything, browsing the internet, shopping with a plastic card, moving around with your phone, CCTV in the streets, cards to access buildings, emails, Sat nav, car trackers the list is endless. </p>

  • Patrick3D

    12 May, 2021 - 3:44 pm

    <p>To think of all the State secrets China is learning by having a mic in my bedroom, my God we’re doomed!</p>

    • anoldamigauser

      Premium Member
      13 May, 2021 - 8:50 am

      <p>It is not China, but Amazon that is learning the secrets. As they are trying to move into the pharmacy business, the ad possibilities are endless.</p>

  • bobnetgeek

    Premium Member
    12 May, 2021 - 8:16 pm

    <p>So folks are worried about Amazon and privacy as the NSA admits they capture your phone and computer data…too funny…Snowden is somewhere doing a facepalm.</p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      13 May, 2021 - 9:46 am

      Isn’t worrying about both OK?

Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox

Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Thurrott © 2024 Thurrott LLC