A smart display is a useful way of viewing everything you’re setting up and operating within your home if you’re keen on smart home technology. They are designed to serve as command centers or hubs for your smart home. It’s a device you’ll put on a shelf or a counter and leave there; maybe for the rest of its life. After all, they’re a terrific combination of a voice assistant (like a smart speaker) and a touchscreen. It allows watching videos, giving voice commands, controlling smart home devices, getting updates from your favorite news sources, adding items to shopping lists, and more.
There are over a dozen different types of smart displays on the market. With that in mind, we’re going to discuss the best smart display for Alexa today. Actually, there are three Amazon Echo Show models to choose from; with the Echo Show 8 sitting in the middle (which will be discussed in this article).
Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen) Smart Display
Despite the fact that the Echo Show 8 is many years old, Amazon’s fourth Alexa-enabled smart display remains one of the greatest smart devices available. The Echo Show 8, positioned among its high-end 10-inch and affordable 5-inch siblings. It has just the perfect balance of functionality and design advantages to justify its presence as the middle kid. The Echo Show 8 is the ideal size for almost any room and combines features from each of its siblings. It offers everything the other Echo Shows can do. Plus, it has a screen that it inherited from its bigger sibling, as well as the privacy measures of the smaller Echo Show 5.
When you buy Echo Show 8, you’ll have:
- Echo Show 8
- Glacier White power adapter (30W)/cable (4.9 ft.)
- Quick start guide
Echo Show 8 Product Specifications
| Size | 7.9”x 5.4”x 3.9” (200mm x 135mm x 99mm) |
| Weight | 36.6 oz (1037 grams) Actual size and weight may vary by manufacturing process. |
| Display | 8.0” touch screen |
| Camera | 13 MP camera with built-in shutter (Photo quality/size may vary) |
| WiFi connectivity | Dual-band Wi-Fi supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi networks. Does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks. |
| Audio | 2.0” (52 mm) neodymium speakers with passive bass radiator. |
| System requirements | The Echo Show 8 comes pre-configured to connect to your WiFi network. The Alexa app is available for Fire OS, Android, and iOS devices, as well as through a web browser. Subscriptions or other fees may be required for some skills and services. |
| Processor | MediaTek MT 8183 |
| Generation | Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen) – 2021 release |
| Color options | Charcoal, Sandstones |
Design of Echo Show 8
This one has an 8-inch crisp display. The Echo Show 8 appears to be a smaller version of the standard Echo Show or a larger version of the Echo Show 5. Reading recipes or watching movies in the kitchen will be easy. And the device will not take up the entire countertop in tiny kitchens. As previously said, it’s quite similar to the Echo Show 5, with the exception that it has an 8-inch display rather than a smaller 5-inch screen and a somewhat larger footprint.
1. Screen Resolution
The Echo Show 8 has the same 1280 x 800 pixel screen resolution as the 10-inch device. Moreover, with the Echo Show 8, you receive clearer, crisper visual quality and a lot more information thanks to the same amount of pixels on a smaller screen.
2. Bright and Colorful
It’s bright and colorful, with two 2.0-inch drivers that each deliver up to 10 watts of power.
3. Audio
In terms of audio power, it’s significantly closer to the 10-inch Echo Show (two 2.2-inch drivers, each 10 watts) than the Echo Show 5. (one 1.7-inch, 4-watt driver). There are also two pinhole microphones on the top edge of the Echo Show 8; which are surrounded by Volume Up/Down and Mic Mute controls.
4. Angled Display
Like the other Echo Shows, the angled display is put in place by a fabric-wrapped base that makes it look like a speaker from the back. The smart display’s power port is located around the back. However, you’ll have to keep it connected at all times, much like its siblings.
5. Camera
The front of the phone has a 1MP camera, which it shares with its smaller sibling, as well as a physical shutter that you can close if you want to keep your privacy.
6. Privacy
For privacy, a mechanical switch located just above the camera literally slides a cover over the lens. If you don’t want Alexa to listen in on your conversations, you may turn off voice activation by pushing the upper left button on the top of the device. After all, it got other privacy features like wake word technology, streaming indicators, ability to view and delete your voice recordings, and more.
7. Other
A power connector, a micro USB port for service, and a 3.5mm aux output are all found on the device’s back. The micro USB connector and 3.5mm headphone jack are available in case you want to keep your listening delights discrete or unleash them through a connected Hi-Fi system.
Features and Functionalities of Echo Show 8
The Echo Show 8 is an Amazon Alexa smart display with the same features and capabilities as other Echo devices.
1. Connect to Smart Devices
Of course, the Echo Show can operate some of the connected smart home gadgets when it’s paired with compatible light bulbs, thermostats, and other devices, including all major brands such as Philips Hue, Nest, and TP-Link. You can even access live feeds on the screen if you have a suitable home security camera or video doorbell, with two-way conversation through the speaker and microphone. Routines can also be scheduled or even started with a move. For example, smart lights can turn on as soon as you enter your living room. Unfortunately, there is no Zigbee functionality (which is available on the larger Echo Show). But this shouldn’t be a show stopper for most people because the Echo Show 8 can still operate a wide range of smart devices.
2. Good Quality Camera
Although the Echo Show 8 only features a 1MP front-facing camera compared to the 13MP on the Echo Show 10, it provides an excellent quality feed for video conversations and can also be used as a home security camera when you’re not at home. When catching up on a video conversation, you can easily get everyone in the frame with this 13 MP camera that automatically pans, zooms, and frames. You can simply ask Alexa to call relatives and friends who have the Alexa app, a suitable Alexa-enabled device, or apps like Zoom to connect fast.
3. Digital Frame
To turn your home screen into a digital frame using Amazon Photographs or Facebook photos. Your photos can be rotated or shown as a slideshow alongside other home screen content. Moreover, adaptive color ensures that your favorite photos look fantastic in any setting. Unlimited cloud photo storage is available to Prime members.
4. Adaptive Brightness
The screen has adaptive brightness, which means it adjusts to ambient light automatically. However, you may adjust the brightness to your preference by sliding down from the top of the screen to uncover the slider. According to the lighting conditions indoors, reflections can be a small inconvenience; but never to the point where watching something on the 8-inch screen becomes a problem.
5. Video Streaming
Netflix and Prime Video are both available for video streaming, with the latter leading the pack and being only a tap or voice command away, at least theoretically. There is still no YouTube app here, as there was before. Amazon’s Silk browser, on the other hand, is available for all your YouTube and online shopping demands.
6. Great Sound Quality
It has a pair of two-inch speakers with passive bass that can go loud for a device with a footprint of just 7.9 x 5.4 x 3.9 inches. It’s not as powerful as the bigger sibling, which has Dolby-enhanced sound, but if you enjoy booming bass, the 8-inch device can take its own. If you don’t, you can always adjust the equalization in the options pane to your taste. The sound fills the room and even works effectively in a huge open-plan setting. After all, sound can ricochet off walls, giving the impression that it is louder than it is.
7. Pair with Phone
While the Echo Show 8 can stream straight from Amazon’s streaming services, it can also pair with your phone or tablet through Bluetooth or the 3.5mm port (a cable is not included) to play any audio from your libraries. Support for Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) allows audio streaming from your smartphone or tablet to the Echo Show 8 or from the Echo Show 8 to your Bluetooth speaker. If Alexa doesn’t have all the answers, the Show 8’s display includes an Amazon Silk or Firefox web browser so you can do your own research.
Setup of Echo Show 8 Smart Display
Following the simple instructions below, you can easily set up Echo Show 8.
- Plug in and turn on the Echo Show 8.
- Use Echo Show 8 to connect to the internet.
- Simply ask Alexa to help you with general enquiries, weather and traffic information, your schedule, and to-do lists etc.
The Alexa app isn’t required to set up or use the Echo Show 8. But it can be useful if you want to link additional services that you can then access on the smart display. Users on iOS and Mac, for example, can connect their Apple Music account in the Alexa app and then use a voice command or a tap on the Echo Show to access it. You can activate it by saying “Alexa,” followed by a question or command.
Smart Display | Conclusion
Most of us now have a wide range of smart appliances and devices in our homes, including smart locks, smart lighting, smart security cameras, smart humidifiers, smart doorbells and smart thermostats, thanks to advancements in smart home technology. And, if you want the ease of a smart assistant with the extra benefit of having something to look at, a smart display is for you.
After all, if you prefer Alexa, the new Echo Show 8 is still the best smart display to get. It has a large enough screen to read from across the room, doubles as a terrific speaker, and includes a slew of camera-related functions, including the above video calling and security camera features.
However, if you don’t prefer a smart home, or if you’re hesitant to add extra cameras, microphones, and voice assistants to your house, a tablet or small laptop would suffice.
