Amazon recently announced new versions of its Echo Show 5 and Echo Show 8 smart displays. Every model update includes an updated camera and the latest Alexa features. However, the hardware specifications and intended user bases differ. Let’s take a look at the changes.
What is different about the new Echo shows?
The Echo Show 8 gets a much better camera
This updated version of the Echo Show 8 Smart Display has a lot in common with the 2018 version: the same dimensions, an 8-inch screen with a resolution of 1280 x 800 and 2-inch stereo speakers. However, the 2021 version’s front camera has been upgraded from a paltry 1-megapixel camera to a much more impressive 13-megapixel camera, so video call quality should be vastly improved.
The new camera also uses the same auto-framing technology as last year’s Echo Show 10 camera, which dynamically adjusts to keep your face in the shot.
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The new Echo Show 8 is Pre-orders from $ 129.99.
The Echo Show 5 gets a slightly better camera (and more colors)
Amazon also announced a model update for the Echo Show 5. As with the new Echo Show 8, the biggest changes to the camera have come from the 2021 Echo Show 5, but the upgrades aren’t as robust.
The camera of the 2021 Echo Show 5 now has 2 megapixels, a slight boost compared to the 1 megapixel camera of the 2019 model. The new model is also available in a new “Deep Sea Blue” color option that complements the existing Glacier White and Charcoal fits. The new Echo Show 5 is $ 84.99 ($ 5 cheaper than the starting price of the original Echo Show 5), and you can Pre-order now.
Amazon Kid Friendly Echo Show 5
Together with the new standard Echo Show 5, Amazon has introduced the Echo Show 5 Kids. The Echo Show 5 Kids “Chameleon” theme differs optically from the standard Echo Show 5, but both models are identical in terms of hardware.
It’s the same size and the camera, screen and speakers are the same. The pre-installed parental controls of the Echo 5 Kids and the focus on child-friendly content set it apart from the other models.
Customers get one year of Amazon’s family-friendly streaming service, Amazon Kids + (typically $ 2.99 per month for Prime members), which includes apps, games, books, movies, and TV shows for kids. There’s also a 2 year “worry-free guarantee” for a free replacement if the Echo Show 5 Kids breaks for any reason. These extras are included in the The price for the device is $ 94.99.
Older Echo Show 5 and 8 models will receive price reductions
The new Echo Show 8, Echo Show 5 and Echo Show 5 Kids can be pre-ordered now and will be delivered in the coming weeks. However, the previous generation of Echo Show devices are still available at reduced prices.
The 2018 Echo Show 8 model is now $ 110 (a price cut of $ 20), and the 2019 Echo Show 5 dropped from $ 89.99 to just $ 49 while supplies last. It might be worth grabbing one of these Echo Show models if you don’t mind the humble camera technology. Otherwise they are mostly the same as the updated versions.
