All About Interwebz: Amazon Echo Show 10 vs Echo Show 8: which smart screen speaker is for you?

With Amazon Prime Day deals upon us this, is a great time to consider picking up an Echo Show. These smart screen and speaker devices fit neatly around the home and have Alexa waiting inside, ready to help. The Echo Show 5 is a little too limited for our liking, but the Echo Show 8, and bigger sibling the Echo Show 10, have plenty to offer.

With such a similar design and spec sheet, you may be wondering just exactly what the difference are, apart from the size. We’ve got all the details you need to help you decide which one to go for.

Amazon Echo Show — Image Credit: Amazon (Image credit: Amazon)

FAQ:

What is a smart display?

Think of it as a tablet and smart speaker in one. You can use them to check the weather, watch videos, play music, control smart home devices, and more.

What can they do?

Smart displays, like Amazon’s Echo Show range, have voice assistants built-in, so you can ask questions, check the weather, and keep up to date with your calendar. They can also play music or videos, make and take video or audio calls, and help you order stuff from Amazon. If you have smart home devices, like security cameras, you can use your Echo Show to see a live feed or review video alerts. Smart displays can also be used as digital photo frames or alarm clocks.

How do you use it?

Smart displays have microphones built-in so they can listen for your commands and questions. With an Echo Show, you simply say “Alexa” and then ask away. You can also use the touchscreen to access some functions and apps.

Where can you use smart displays?

The only real limitation on placement for a smart display is the need to have a free power outlet you can plug into. Many people like to use them in the kitchen, but they can prove useful on the nightstand, in the hall, or in other rooms around the home.

Amazon Echo Show 10

With a large touchscreen, powerful speakers, and excellent voice recognition, the Echo Show 10 is Amazon’s biggest smart display. A trapezoid fabric back houses the speakers and serves as a stand for that big screen, which has a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. There’s also a 5-megapixel front-facing camera for video calls.

Sound comes via a pair of 2.2-inch speakers and there’s a microphone array along the top, so Alexa can pick up your voice anywhere in the room. Amazon has included a button on top, alongside the volume controls, which can turn off the microphone and camera.

Amazon Echo Show 8

The small, but perfectly formed Amazon Echo Show 8 is an unobtrusive wee device that can sit happily on the kitchen counter, bedside table, or on a bookshelf. The wedge-shaped back is covered in a choice of charcoal or sandstone fabric and houses the speakers. The 8-inch display sits at the ideal angle and has a sharp resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. It’s a touchscreen device, but it’s best used with voice commands.

There are a couple of far-field microphones for interacting with Alexa, a pair of 2-inch speakers that get reasonably loud, and a 1-megapixel camera for video calls. Importantly, for the privacy conscious, there’s a camera cover built-in, and also a button on top that allows you to turn the microphone and camera off.

Echo Show 10 versus Echo Show 8

The size of the screen is the most obvious difference here. If you plan on watching a lot of video, you’ll likely prefer the 10-inch screen. The resolution is the same, which means the smaller Echo Show 8 screen will appear a bit sharper. You’ll notice a small difference in the sound quality, with the larger speakers in the Echo Show 10, but both rely on passive bass.

One big advantage of the larger Echo Show is the better camera quality, which will make a real difference if you plan on using it for video calls. However, it’s a shame that the larger Echo Show lacks the camera shutter, which provides visual peace of mind that the camera isn’t watching when it shouldn’t be.

Verdict

Both Echo Show devices are at their best when delivering Amazon content or responding to your queries and commands via Alexa, which they do equally well. The choice depends largely on the size you prefer and the budget you have available. It’s worth noting that this is the second generation Echo Show 10 and Amazon is about to be replace it with a third generation device that has an all-new design, a better quality tracking camera, and much higher quality sound.

Price and availability

The Amazon Echo Show 8 costs $129 / £119 / AU$229, but it’s frequently discounted and likely to be on sale during Amazon Prime Day. The Amazon Echo Show 10 costs a fair bit more at $229 / £219.99 / AU$349, so keep an eye out for deals. It should drop in price when the third generation Echo Show 10 lands. Speaking of which, the new Echo Show 10 is set to cost $249.99 / £239.99 / AU$399.