The best Amazon Echo smart displays in 2023

If you’re invested in the Alexa smart home ecosystem, an Amazon Echo Show smart display is an nice addition for any home. Like most smart displays, they’re essentially specialized tablets with better speakers and more streamlined access to useful everyday apps and features. While they’re nice devices for any home that uses Amazon’s voice assistant, they are especially powerful when paired with many Alexa-compatible smart devices.

There are only a few Echo Show models to choose from, each with pros and cons. Although many other big-name smart displays have been discontinued, Amazon continues to offer vigorous support to its smart home centerpieces — including planned compatibility with the new Matter ecosystem. If you’re new to smart home technology, there’s no better way to integrate powerful devices like a Ring Video Doorbell or your favorite smart speakers than with an Echo Show smart display.

Top picks for Amazon Echo smart displays

The Echo Show 15 is Amazon’s newest and largest smart display, and despite looking basically like a digital photo frame, it has a wide range of uses. Its camera can automatically detect who’s standing in front of it and load their personal schedule, chores, shopping list, and other useful information. Its 15.6-inch, 1080p screen is crisper, brighter, and can easily be seen from a distance. And to get the most out of the extra real estate, Amazon has implemented a handy supply of widgets to import information such as weather and top news stories. Plus, it boasts an attractive overall design and makes a perfect digital picture frame when you’re not actively using it.

One interesting note is that Amazon is actively rolling out an update that lets you use the Fire TV streaming interface on the Echo Show 15. This makes it an even better choice for mounting in a high-activity area like the kitchen, as its display is just large enough for you to enjoy high-definition entertainment. It also speaks to Amazon’s dedication to the Show lineup and its largest variant, in a time when no other 15-inch smart display even exists.

Of course, there are a few things to consider before buying an Echo Show 15. First, it’s a bit large to set on the counter (though there is an optional desktop stand), so you may want to hang it on the wall, but the speakers aren’t that loud when mounted. Also, it’s pretty expensive for a smart display, so make sure it has what you need before you invest.

The third-gen Echo Show 10 is more than just a standalone, voice-activated smart home controller. It’s fitted to a motorized base that can rotate 350 degrees and uses an advanced algorithm with an integrated camera to detect who’s watching and follow them around the room. This is especially useful if, for example, you’re crafting a complicated meal that you’ve never made before and want to make sure you can see the recipe or video tutorial no matter where you are in the kitchen.

Since there’s plenty of space for enhanced speakers inside the round base, the Echo Show 10 delivers the best sound quality of Amazon’s smart displays. Its bass output leaves a bit to be desired with some music genres, but overall it sounds surprisingly good despite the moderate size.

There’s also a host of apps preloaded and more available through Amazon, including the security-conscious Firefox browser, and most apps dovetail perfectly with Alexa voice control. The built-in Zigbee hub also allows it to act as a smart home linchpin. The main drawback of the Echo Show 10 is that it’s quite pricey compared to its smaller relatives. But if you want something that’s both novel and useful on an everyday basis, it’s a great choice.

If you want access to news, weather, and all your connected smart devices as soon as you wake up, consider putting an Echo Show 5 on your nightstand. It’s essentially a smart alarm clock that delivers the versatility and power of Alexa voice control in a form factor small enough to fit anywhere. Keep in mind that its size means it is pretty limited — for example, you won’t have much success using it to watch movies or video tutorials.

It’s excellent at what it’s meant to do, though, and costs relatively little considering its wide range of advanced functions. That said, it’s set back by issues like slightly limited alarm settings and a brightness level that’s often too high in a dark room. Overall, though, it’s a convenient way to add smart home control to your bedroom.

Since Amazon’s first-generation 8-inch smart display was so popular and reliable, the improvements to the Echo Show 8 are subtle. An upgraded MediaTek processor and advanced motion-sensing camera make for a smoother experience in terms of touchscreen performance and video calling.

In fact, video calling is where the 2nd-gen Echo Show 8 shines due to its improved camera and auto-framing algorithm that keeps your face centered during chats. The screen is just large enough to see from across the room, and it’s aided by automatic color and white balance adjustment based on ambient lighting conditions. And if you want to get the screen a little closer or even add a battery for portable use, there are some handy Echo Show 8 mounts and stands to choose from.

While the speakers don’t get incredibly loud, they’re passable for casually watching videos or taking in today’s news. Overall, the Echo Show 8 is a very well-balanced device that doesn’t cost a fortune and can streamline most smart homes. The only real downsides to the Show 8 have more to do with Amazon’s software than the device itself. Certain popular apps, such as YouTube, still refuse to implement voice control, and Amazon’s user interface isn’t particularly friendly to navigation without voice control.

Tech-savvy youngsters will appreciate the wide range of entertaining and educational opportunities the Amazon Echo Show 5 Kids provides. Whether they’re just having fun or need help with their homework, interacting with Alexa visually offers a much more engaging experience than just interacting with a voice on a speaker. It lets them watch their favorite videos and experience a wide variety of kid-friendly apps. The Echo Show 5 Kids also comes with one year of Amazon Kids+, a curated subscription of family-friendly content, from apps and Alexa Skills to music, radio, and videos.

You can use the service on more than just the actual Echo Show 5 Kids, as it has apps for Android and iOS phones and tablets. A year of Kids+ for the family is $70, so even when the Echo Show 5 Kids isn’t on sale — and it almost perpetually is — this bundle saves you at least $60.

The right Amazon Echo smart display for your space

While the lineup is rather limited, the various Echo Show models are, for the most part, quite different from each other. Each one’s size has a large impact on its usefulness. For example, the compact Echo Show 5 excels as a smart alarm clock but could be better for adding in-depth plans to your calendar. At the other end of the spectrum, the relatively large Echo Show 15 is considerably better for watching videos and planning your weekly schedule.

If you’re looking for a premium smart display for your home, the Echo Show 15 is arguably the best, largest, and most functional smart display on the market today. While it does come at a premium price, the versatility and usability this device offers make it a highly sought after smart addition for any home. From task widgets, to video calls, and an upcoming Fire TV integration, you don’t want to miss out on everything the Echo Show 15 has to offer.

Then there’s the Echo Show 10, a decidedly interesting device. The other Echo Shows consist solely of a screen and speakers, while the 10-inch version adds a motorized, rotating base complete with a motion-tracking camera, allowing the display to follow you around the room. This is especially useful when watching video recipes or instructional craft videos, since it ensures you always have an eye on the action from anywhere in the room. That base also leaves room for a slightly bigger speaker driver, giving the 10 the best audio of the Echo Show lineup. With remote access capabilities, it even works as a de facto security camera. All Echo Shows can do this, but the 10’s rotating base takes it to the next level.

If you’re searching for a smart display that’s less feature-heavy and won’t break the bank, the Echo Show 8 represents the best value for most people. Its 8-inch screen has just enough real estate for convenient smart home control, watching instructional videos, and making general plans. It’s also the most versatile for most uses and perfect for controlling a wide range of Alexa-compatible devices and many other tips and tricks.

As far as competition in the Alexa-compatible smart display scene, there really isn’t any, and that’s because each display has its own unique set of pros and cons for individuals. So rather than settling for the same smart display your neighbor, aunt, brother, and dog have, choose the right Amazon Echo smart display for your space.

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