Amazon Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen): Just the Right Balance

Reviews/Consumer Electronics

- By Will Greenwald

The original Echo Show 8 has been one of our favorite smart displays since it came out two years ago, thanks to a nearly perfect balance of strong audio performance for the size, a bright and colorful screen, and loads of useful Alexa voice control and smart home features for a reasonable price. Amazon has changed very little in the second-generation model, which sells for the same $129.99 as the original. The second-gen Echo Show 8 looks and sounds identical to its predecessor, with only the camera for video chat and home monitoring receiving an upgrade. It isn’t quite as impressive as the motorized tracking camera on the Echo Show 10 ($249.99), but at nearly half the price, the Echo Show 8 is the best value in the smart display market and our Editors’ Choice winner.

NEARLY UNCHANGED, INSIDE AND OUT

The second-generation Echo Show 8 is physically identical to the first one, measuring 5.4 by 7.9 by 3.9 inches (HWD), with a vaguely triangular side profile that tilts the 8-inch screen back slightly, like an easel. The screen has a half-inch frame that’s completely flush with the LCD, with a camera in the top-right corner. The top edge has pinhole cutouts for the far-field microphones, volume up/down and mic mute buttons, and a mechanical switch for the camera’s privacy shutter. The back of the Echo Show 8’s body is covered in fabric, matching the color of the frame on the front (either black or white).