It may be thrilling when a model like Amazon drops new variations of its units, but it surely may also be overwhelming to determine which one is greatest for you (and if it is value paying greater than its unique model). Amazon launched their latest variations of the Echo Show 5 and the Echo Show 8. After testing each of them, I am going to stroll you thru what’s the identical, what’s completely different, what they create to the desk in comparison with the first gen variations — and which one you can purchase.
Pricing
For Prime Day 2022, the Echo Show 8 is on sale for an all-time low of $74.99. We do not know the way lengthy this deal will final, so seize it fast.
Whereas these stationary units don’t have the portability or performance of an iPad or a Floor pill, they work flawlessly with Alexa and function a sensible house HQ to make your day-to-day life just a bit bit extra streamlined.
Dimension issues
Essentially the most noticeable distinction between the Echo Present 5 and the Echo Present 8 is, after all, their measurement. The Echo Present 5 has a 5.5-inch display and 6 inch by 3 inch footprint, whereas the Echo Present 8 is considerably bigger — boasting an 8-inch display and an 8 inch by 4 inch footprint.
Echo Present 5 (2nd gen) is smaller and would work higher in a bed room or workplace.
Credit score: Amazon
Echo Present 8 (2nd gen) is considerably bigger — greatest for a central home hub.
Credit score: amazon
In my view, that makes the Echo Present 8 means higher suited to be your loved ones “hub” — situated in a central location just like the kitchen or eating room for loopy simple video calls with the grandparents utilizing Alexa. All you need to do is add contacts you’d prefer to name within the Alexa app in your telephone. Nonetheless, it will not be a vital buy if you have already got a pill with nice video performance.
Regardless, the Echo Present 8 gives another benefits for video calls along with its measurement, too.
However, the Echo Present 5 could be higher in locations the place you need the gadget’s performance, with out it being entrance and heart — like your desk or nightstand.
And for those who’re a sucker for colorways, the Echo Present 8 solely comes within the Glacier White and Charcoal colour choices. You may get extra selection with the brand new Echo Present 5, which is available in Glacier White, Charcoal, and Deep Sea Blue. The Echo Present 5 Youngsters is available in Chameleon inexperienced.
Digicam and video calling
The Echo Present 5 acquired a good digital camera improve from its 1st gen model — growing the megapixels from 1 to 2. Nonetheless, it was a complete completely different ball recreation for the Echo Present 8. Whereas the first gen Echo Present 8 supplied a 1-MP digital camera, this revamped mannequin comes outfitted with a 13-MP digital camera.
The picture is extremely crisp, and alongside the bigger display make the Echo Present 8 the video name winner. However that’s not even the perfect half: The brand new Echo Present 8 options auto-framing features that robotically pan and zoom the digital camera to maintain it targeted on the folks in view of it.
Each units additionally characteristic some helpful connectivity options, like Intercom to web page each Alexa gadget in the home (“We’re leaving in fifteen minutes, so be prepared!”) and Drop In, which lets you video chat with any linked Alexa gadget.
Zoom calls
The Echo Present 8 can even be part of Zoom calls, whereas the Echo Present 5 can’t. To be completely sincere, I couldn’t get the Zoom name characteristic to work after a number of tries as a result of not one of the calls I joined had a dial-in quantity.
I’ll nonetheless say the Echo Present 8 wins on this one simply because it’s theoretically doable, and I’m actually hoping to have the ability to be part of Zoom calls from it quickly to unlock my laptop computer and further monitor for in-meeting multi-tasking.
Child-friendly content material
In the course of the preliminary set-up, you may select to make any Echo Present gadget a devoted gadget for a child. This provides you entry to some expanded parental controls, which is nice for older kids, tweens, and teenagers that you just nonetheless wish to defend from a few of the worst issues the web has to supply.
Nonetheless, the Echo Present 5 Youngsters is the primary and solely Echo Present that’s bottom-to-top and side-to-side designed for teenagers. It options the enjoyable Chameleon look (dinosaur scales, in accordance with my 5-year-old), and comes with a free yr of Amazon Youngsters (a $69 worth for Prime members) — which gives curated books, video games, and movies only for children far past what’s obtainable by way of a fundamental Prime membership. As well as, it comes with souped-up parental controls so you may tweak issues much more.
Alexa performance
Each the 2nd gen Echo Present 5 and the 2nd gen Echo Present 8 have some new Alexa skills that their 1st gen counterparts don’t.
First up is the house monitoring perform, the place you may remotely entry the digital camera in your gadget from the Alexa app simply to test in on issues. You’ll want a WiFi connection to do it, however I had no issues getting it to work. I can think about it could be nice to test in on pets, the babysitter, or simply to take a peek at your own home whereas on trip to ensure all the pieces is on the up-and-up.
Subsequent is the addition of motion-enabled routines. This enables Alexa to detect while you enter or go away a room and use that exercise to start out a routine. Honest warning, this will open a can of worms re: privateness, but it surely additionally opens up some thrilling potentialities for the sensible house buff. You possibly can have Alexa learn your calendar while you stroll into your workplace, or flip off all smart-enabled units when there’s no movement detected in the lounge — and people are simply two easy concepts. With the addition of Alexa-enabled units or sensible plugs, your choices open up much more. Amazon does provide methods to manage these settings if you’d like to delete recordings or handle your knowledge.
All of those units characteristic all the identical Alexa performance you got here to anticipate from the earlier iteration of Echo Present units.
Which one is healthier?
For under $45 extra, the Echo Present 8 was the clear winner for me. Not solely does it have a bigger display and a 13-MP digital camera with auto-framing (making it the very best for video calling), it additionally permits you to hop on Zoom conferences, if/when you will get that perform to work correctly.
If video calls and Zoom conferences aren’t your concern, then the Echo Present 5 continues to be an ideal selection — just like the 2nd gen Echo Present 8, the brand new Echo Present 5 boasts lots of the similar expanded Alexa features, like house monitoring and movement detection routines. And naturally, if you would like one which’s made for teenagers, then you definately’re gonna wish to go together with the groovy inexperienced Echo Present 5 Youngsters.
Total, I’m a fan of each, however the Echo Present 8 got here out on prime for our house.
