Amazon has just renewed its range of smart speakers with display. The company has launched the new Amazon Echo 8 and Echo Show 5, whose main difference, as you can guess from their names, is the size of the screen. The first has an eight-inch screen and the second stay with a five-inch diagonal.
However, it is not the only difference between the two devices, as the Amazon Echo 8 has a peculiar feature in its camera: it scrolls and zooms in on the image to keep us framed during a video call. Below we will get to know them better, but not before mentioning that the price of the Echo Show 5 is $85 ($5 less than the previous model), while that of the Echo Show is $130 (the same as before).
Amazon Echo Show 8: the camera that follows us
In terms of design, the Amazon Echo Show 8 is very similar to the previous model. The main difference lies in the space dedicated to the camera, which now has an integrated cover so that it can be covered when not in use. This is one of Amazon’s ways of ensuring privacy.
The device mounts an eight-inch HD screen with adaptive color adjustment from which we can watch streaming movies, follow recipes step by step, play photos to turn it into a digital frame, and interact with home automation. It also incorporates stereo speakers and an eight-core processor that gives life to Alexa, the home automation brain developed by Amazon.
But without a doubt, the most striking point is the camera. The Echo Show 8 incorporates a 13-megapixel camera that scrolls and zooms in on the image during video calls, something designed to keep us always in the frame. That way, if you move, the camera will move to keep you in the center. It’s a feature that comes from the Echo Show 10, although not as powerful since it doesn’t have a rotating base.
The camera, by the way, we can not only use to make a video call with up to seven people, but we can also use the Echo Show 8 as a surveillance camera. From the Alexa app or other Echo Show devices, we can access the real-time image from the Echo Show 8 camera to see our home live.
Amazon Echo Show 5: smaller and with a better camera
The Echo Show 5, meanwhile, is the same as the previous model. It has a five-inch screen and is available in a new color (navy blue). Otherwise, and a priori, it is similar to the Echo Show 5 we had so far. From the screen, we will be able to access streaming content, information of all kinds, and Alexa to control home automation.
Where is the change, then? In the camera. The device has an HD camera with twice as many pixels, something designed to make video calls. Like the previous model, you can also access the camera feed in real-time to see how the house is doing and that everything is in order. Like the Echo Show 8, the Echo Show 5 also has a camera cover.
Pricing and Availability of the Amazon Echo Show 8 (2021) and Echo Show 5 (2021)
The Echo Show 8 is available in anthracite and white, while the Echo Show 5 is available in anthracite, white, and navy blue. They can be pre-ordered starting today and shipments will begin over the next month. The Echo Show 8 is priced at $130 and the Echo Show 5 is $85.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.