The Amazon Echo Show 10 went on sale today, February 25, after being announced in September 2020. The 3rd gen Echo Show 10 takes some inspiration from Nest Hub regarding design. However, the device has a rotating 10-inch HD display, which relies on computer vision and audio-based localization to detect users’ movement and keep the user in the frame. Hence, the display will also rotate if you are moving around during a Zoom call. But do you need to spend $250 to get the most out of your purchase? Which Amazon Echo Show should you buy? Here’s our comparison of the available Echo Show devices.
When to purchase the Amazon Echo Show 10
The Amazon Echo Show 10 features two one-inch tweeters and a 3-inch woofer, delivering excellent sound quality. It has a 10.1-inch HD screen with a 1,280 x 800 resolution. It is powered by the MediaTek 8183 and a second processor with Amazon AZ1 Neural Edge. The latter is said to be present for better speech recognition in the future.
Purchase the Amazon Echo Show 10 if you need the best media consumption experience and if you move a lot during video calls. It is the best Echo Show for entertainment. It will automatically turn to face you when you’re on a call or watching content. It lets you connect with anyone with the Alexa app, Skype, an Echo Spot, or Echo Show. There is a 13MP camera with a shutter for better privacy controls.
Additionally, if you want your smartphone to double as a surveillance device, you should purchase the Amazon Echo Show 10. It has a Guard Plus security system to call emergency services with the Alexa command. It can also monitor the sounds of smoke and glass break alarms via your speaker mics. You can set up home automation that responds to motion alerts. It can automatically pan across a room to seek out and warn you of any motion. Further, its screen can turn 175 degrees in either direction.
When to purchase the Amazon Echo Show 8
The Amazon Echo Show 8 is the middle child. It is bigger than the Echo Show 5 and smaller than the Echo Show 10. It takes the best feature from high-end and low-end devices. The sound quality is better than the smaller Show 5 as it has double the number of speakers (two 2-inch speakers at 10W per channel vs. one 1.7-inch speaker at 4W per channel). The display, however, remains the same at 1280×800 pixel resolution.
Thanks to Amazon’s Certified for Humans program, you can set up and control your smart home devices “struggle-free, tinker-free, and stress-free.” it also has a built-in camera shutter and a microphone/camera-off button. These enable the users to confirm the device physically is not watching or listening to them. However, you don’t get the best video call experience with the 1MP front-facing camera.
We think the Echo Show 8 is perfect for most people. It is cheaper than the Echo Show 10 and can deliver excellent sound quality.
When to purchase the Amazon Echo Show 5
The Echo Show 5 is the smallest of the Echo Show bunch. It features a compact 5.5-inch display ready to help manage your day, entertain at a glance, and connect you to friends and family. You can watch movies, news, and TV shows and listen to songs, radio stations, and audiobooks. However, don’t expect the experience to be as good as the Echo Show 8.
The video calls won’t be excellent on this one either, as it sports a 1MP sensor. With the Echo Show 5, you get a device that can fit anywhere. You get a 1.65-inch built-in speaker. 3.5 mm stereo audio output for use with external speakers. Further, Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) supports audio streaming from your mobile device to Echo Show five or from Echo Show 5 to your Bluetooth speaker.
