Amazon is upgrading its most two most affordable smart displays. The new Amazon Echo Show 8 has the same $130 starting price as its predecessor, but Amazon has upgraded the processor and camera.
Meanwhile the new Echo Show 5 is getting a modest spec bump and a $5 price cut. The 2021 model has an upgraded camera and now comes in more color options. But prices now start at $85.
Both new smart displays are now available for pre-order from Amazon, and there’s also a brand new option – a $95 Amazon Echo Show 5 Kids device.
Like other Kids edition hardware from Amazon, the Echo Show 5 Kids basically has the same hardware as its grown-up counterpart, but comes in more colorful designs and includes two perks that are probably worth the price of admission for parents:
- 1-year subscription to Amazon Kids+: kid-friendly audiobooks, music, games, and more
- 2-year worry-free guarantee: Amazon will replace broken devices for free, no questions asked
The new Echo Show 5 and Echo Show 5 Kids smart displays feature 5.5 inch, 960 x 480 pixel displays, mono speakers, and 2MP cameras (which is a bump up from the 1MP camera used in the previous-gen). There’s a mic/camera off button and a camera shutter to cover the camera when you’re not using it for video calls though.
Amazon’s 2nd-gen Echo Show, meanwhile, is getting a much more significant spec bump. The new model has a MediaTek MT8183 octa-core processor (up from the MT8163 quad-core chip used in the 1st-gen), and a 13MP camera (which is an upgrade over the 1MP-camera in the previous model).
The camera also supports automatic pan and zoom, helping keep you in the frame if you’re wandering around during video calls. It’s not quite as powerful as the latest 10 inch Echo Show, which has a screen that can actually move to follow you, but the Echo Show 8 also sells for half the price of that model.
Most other specs for the new Echo Show seem to be the same as for the previous-gen, including an 8 inch, 1280 x 800 pixel touchscreen display and stereo speakers.
Here are some key specs for Amazon’s new (and old) Echo Show hardware:
| Echo Show 8 (2021) | Echo Show 8 (2019) | Echo Show 5 (2021) | Echo Show 5 (2019) | |
| Display | 8 inch, 1280 x 800 | 8 inch, 1280 x 800 | 5.5 inch, 960 x 480 | 5.5 inch, 960 x 480 |
| Processor | MTK MT8183 | MTK MT8163 | MTK MT8163 | MTK MT8163 |
| Camera | 13MP with auto-framing | 1MP | 2MP | 1MP |
| Speakers | 2 x 2.0” | 2 x 2.0” | 1 x 1.7″ | 1 x 1.7″ |
| Mics | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 3.5mm line out? | Yes | No | No | No |
| Wireless | WiFi 5 & Bluetooth | WiFi 5 & Bluetooth | WiFi 5 & Bluetooth | WiFi 5 & Bluetooth |
| Colors | Charcoal Sandstone | Charcoal Sandstone | Charcoal Sandstone | Charcoal White Blue |
| Kids Edition? | No | No | Yes | No |
| Dimensions | 7.9″ x 5.4″ x 3.9″ | 7.9″ x 5.4″ x 3.9″ | 5.8″ x 3.4″ x 2.9″ | 5.8″ x 3.4″ x 2.9″ |
| Price | $130 | $130 MSRP $110 current (as of May 12, 2021) | $85 | $90 MSRP $50 current (as of May 12, 2021) |