The Amazon Echo Show 8 comes with a superior camera for enhanced video calls and is still an affordable Amazon Echo Show but is it worth the upgrade?
The Amazon Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen) offers a nice selection of features compared to the Echo Show 5 and also comes in at an affordable price of £94.99 and comes in two colour options:
- Glacier White
- Charcoal
First Impressions
When you compare it to previous models the Amazon Echo Show 8 is a little more of a downgrade in some aspects for example the lack of a 3.5 mm jack and lack of Zigbee hub. The size of the display has not changed it still has 1280 x 800 resolution and the built-in speaker lacks depth.
The upgrades include a new 13MP wide-angle camera that pans and zooms during video calls and the inclusion of an octa-core processor that helps you navigate between apps faster. What this results in is giving you a functional smart display that does everything you come to expect from Alexa but will the inclusion of Amazon Music Unlimited and, Amazon Prime Video and allows you to provide to make video calls to your nearest and dearest.
Design
The design of the Amazon Echo Show 8 (Gen2) looks identical to the previous generation of the Echo Show 8. The body is identical and the display resolution is unchanged. In terms of controls, they are located at the top of the build and are for the volume and also a mute button that turns off the microphone and there is also a slide to cover up the camera which is useful if you want a little privacy.
The new addition is that 13MP camera which is a big step forward compared to the Gen1 model. The improved camera allows you to make video calls and even take selfies a lot clearer. The camera is also paired with a four-microphone configuration to allow for medium to long range. If you pump out the tunes Alexa will still hear you.
What is under the bonnet?
When you look inside the Echo Show 8 (Gen2) it is run on a MediaTek MT8183 octa-core processor which is an upgrade on the MediaTek MT 8163 in the previous model. It’s nice to have the upgrade but in reality, there is not much difference in terms of performance.
There are also dual 2-inch speakers positioned inside the mesh casing of the Echo Show 8. These speakers will provide an ok sound quality but there is 100% room for improvement. The Gen2 model is missing the 3.5mm cable so if you wanted to connect it to a better speaker this won’t be possible.
Performance
Day to Day use of the Amazon Echo Show 8 (Gen2) is very similar to many of the Amazon devices I already have at home. The main difference is the visual display that shows tons of information about your day such as:
- To-do List
- Shopping list
- Up and coming appointments
- Weather checks
- Traffic reports
- Step-by-step recipes
The star of the show is that 13MP camera which makes a great improvement on call quality the picture looks much sharper and the added extra is if you are sitting away from the camera there is now a zoom feature useful if you can’t sit close to the show 8 (Gen2). If you use video calls a lot and let’s face it in 2020 that is all we did this will be useful if a pandemic comes around again.
Something fun that has been included is the fun photo booth mode. So when you take a photo you are then able to select a single shot, multi-shots and the photo booth mode that takes 4 shots in quick succession and patches them together like what we created below.
Once you have taken the photos they are saved to the cloud and can also share them with friends and family. It’s quite a cool little feature which am sure we will have fun as you can see from the picture above.
The most important aspect is Alexa now if you are like me you will know how to use it but since its inception, the Skills Library has grown allowing you to be able to do even more such as learning a phrase in a different language to letting the user know the pollen count for that day.
In terms of audio, the Echo Show 8 (Gen2) has pimped the audio quality dialogue from Alexa is clearer and when you have a conversation it’s also clearer. However, when listening to music via Amazon Music such as “Freya Ridings Castles” the vocals are clear and the bass was deep but the snares get lost in the mix.
If you want to improve the sound quality if you have multiple devices in other rooms you can play music on all the devices which does improve the sound especially if you have an Echo Studio in one of the other rooms.
What needs to be improved?
The Amazon Echo Show 8 (Gen2) comes with a resolution display of 1280 x 800 which has not improved compared to previous models. The picture does not offer HDR support meaning the picture quality just is not as cinematic when watching the latest on Amazon Prime Video. The display will be fine to watch a cooking video but if your using it for the latest blockbuster on Amazon Video you will be a little disappointed.
Smart home compatibility is an area that needs improvement due to the lack of a Zigbee hub. The Echo Show 8 can still connect to many of your devices via Bluetooth but you won’t be able to use this device as a hub for all of your smart home products such as Hive heating, Ring Doorbell or some smart lights as they will require longer set up without the Zigbee hub. It’s not to say it’s not impossible but the installation time will be a lot longer.
Verdict
In terms of price, the Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen) is perfectly positioned and offers a cheaper alternative compared to the more expensive Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) or the Echo Show 15.
The feature I like when it comes to the Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen) is the zoom integration which adds to the call quality and allows everyone should be able to see you clearly on the call. If you want to take some photos the photo booth mode will entertain you and the family as you can share pictures with them.
The main reason someone will buy a device like this is Alexa it can provide the news and weather and even show a recipe in a visual format that is easy to follow. This could be really helpful if you learn to cook. Also, the 8-inch screen is also easy to see when in the kitchen.
However, if you are looking for improved sound or picture quality the fact the Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen) still uses that 1280x 800 display and the inclusion of dual 2-inch speakers that just lack the va va voom and would struggle with Hi-res audio. The missing HDR support also impacts your experience when watching the latest offering on Amazon video.
Lastly, the lack of a built-in Zigbee hub means the Echo Show 8 means it won’t be able to communicate with all of your smart home devices so this is likely to annoy some users who a smart home is important.
Would I buy the Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen)?
If you own an Echo Show 10 then the answer is no and similarly if you own the Echo Show 8 1st Gen the 2nd Gen model is basically identical apart from the improved camera. If you do not plan to use the camera that much then I would not bother upgrading.
However, if this is your first Amazon smart display then the Amazon Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen) is a worthy option to consider as long as you can see past the few negatives we have mentioned in this review.
Product Rating
Design: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Performance: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Audio Quality: 3.0 out of 5.0 stars
Value for Money: 3.0 out of 5.0 stars
Overall ranking: 3.5 out of 5.0 stars – 3.5 stars out of 5
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