Amazon’s Echo Show: What Is It and How Does It Work?
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In a world filled with “smart” devices, Amazon’s Echo Show stands out as a unique and versatile gadget, combining the functionality of a smart speaker with the convenience of a touchscreen display. If you’re not familiar with Alexa, however, you might wonder what all this means…
Alexa has become a reliable and convenient companion for millions of people around the world. If you’re thinking of adding Alexa to your household, though, you’ll need an Echo smart speaker or display.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what the Echo Show is, what it can do, and how it can make your life easier.
What Exactly Is An Echo Show?
The Echo Show is a line of smart speakers with an LCD touchscreen display and front-facing camera produced by Amazon. It is a voice-controlled device integrated with Alexa, Amazon’s A.I. voice assistant.
Using voice commands, the Echo Show allows you to interact with Alexa to play music, stream videos, make video calls, control smart home devices and much more.
Amazon offers this device in various models, which vary in size, features, and functionality. These models include the Echo Show 5, Echo Show 8, Echo Show 10 and Echo Show 15.
What Can The Echo Show Do?
Amazon has an endless and evergrowing list of Alexa capabilities in its arsenal. There are currently over 100,000 Alexa skills and new ones are being released on an ongoing basis.
While we can’t list everything the Echo Show is capable of, here are some most useful tasks you can use it for:
- Video Calls: Echo Show devices have built-in cameras that allow you to make video calls with family and friends who also have Alexa.
- Watch Videos: Echo Show devices can display video content from various sources, including Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and YouTube, among others.
- Listen to Music: With Alexa, you can listen to music from various streaming services, such as Amazon Music, Spotify, and Pandora, among others. The Show also displays the words, so you can sing along. Karaoke anyone?
- Smart Home Control: The Echo Show can control smart home devices, such as smart lights, thermostats, and security cameras. For instance, say “Alexa, show me the front door camera!” – (Learn how to connect your Blink Cams to Alexa)
- Display Photos: Using Photo Frame mode, you can display your favorite photos from Amazon Photos or Facebook.
- Set Alarms and Reminders: You can set wake-up alarms, reminders for appointments, and timers for things like cooking. You can also have Alexa add a routine to your alarm like, for instance, playing a motivational song.
- Calendar: You can add, remove and edit your calendar events with the Echo Show’s touchscreen display, also. Or just say “Alexa, add an event to my calendar!”. Alexa will then ask you for the event title, time, and date. Alexa can integrate with Google, Microsoft, and Apple calendars.
- Check the Weather and News: The Echo Show can provide you with the latest weather forecast and news updates from your favorite networks. It’s likely that there is even a local news skill for your area! You can also purchase your own Alexa-compatible weather station!
- Cooking: Alexa can help you cook by providing you with recipes, cooking timers, and measurement conversions. You can even watch cooking shows on Food Network!
- Workout: Ask Alexa to show you a list of workout videos to choose from or use the built-in browser to find a specific workout video.
(For more on what Alexa can do, check out this article as well…)
What I Use Alexa For
Being a smart home enthusiast, I have several Echo Show devices in my household. We have one in our master bedroom, one in my son’s room and one mounted on the wall in the kitchen. This is in addition to the Echo smart speakers scattered throughout the house.
First of all, we play a lot of music on our Echo devices. The nice thing about the Echo Show is that, not only are the lyrics displayed on the screen, but I can also glance up to look at the song name if I’m not familiar with the artist.
This makes karaoke a hit with the kids!
We use the drop-in and announcement features like an intercom in our household, as well. Dropping in allows me to have a quick video or audio chat with someone in a particular room. The announcement feature allows me to announce something to the entire house.
“Alexa, make an announcement!”
📢”Kids, please report to the kitchen ready for homework!”
As we’re getting ready in the morning, we always have Alexa read us the weather report for the day. I literally do this as I’m opening the closet to see what I’m going to wear.
Then there’s the calendar! When I’m on the go, I’ll have Alexa add something to my calendar. I, personally, use Google Calendar which integrates perfectly with Alexa. The Echo Show allows me to view my calendar, which is a huge bonus as opposed to the Echo speakers.
I use the Alexa to control our smart home devices, but the show has a particular advantage when it comes to viewing my security cameras and Ring video doorbell.
(Also, for an excellent WiFi camera that works with Alexa, check out these Blink Cams I reviewed…)
“Alexa, show me the back yard!”
Lastly, I’ll say that we sometimes watch TV on the Echo Show also – particularly in the kitchen where we don’t have a TV. My 8-year-old loves to watch YouTube videos on Alexa in our bedroom for some reason.
Even with all that I’ve listed here, there is still a ton more. These are just some of the most used features in our household.
(For the best TVs with Built-in Alexa, check out this article…)
Editor’s Note: Now, with the Echo Show 15, you can use it just like Fire TV. It even pairs with a Fire TV remote. This makes watching your favorite streaming services like Hulu, Netflix and Prime Video even more seamless.
| Image | Title | Screen Size | Resolution | Camera | Speakers | Motion Tracking/Screen Panning | Price | Prime | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Top Top | Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) | HD smart display with motion tracking | 10.1" | 1280 x 800 | 13 MP | 2 x 1" tweeters, 3" woofer | ✔️ | PrimeEligible | View On Amazon | |
 Top | Echo Show 8 | 8" | 1280 x800 | 13 MP | 2 x 2" | ❌ | PrimeEligible | View On Amazon | |
 Top | Echo Show 15 | 15.6" | 1920 x 1080 | 5 MP | 2 x 1.6" | ❌ | PrimeEligible | View On Amazon | |
 Top | Echo Show 5 | 5.5" | 960 x 480 | 2 MP | 1 x 1.7" | ❌ | PrimeEligible | View On Amazon |
Is The Echo Show Worth It?
I’d have to say that, unequivocally, the answer is yes. The Echo Show is worth every penny. It is incredibly useful and Amazon has made a model for anyone’s price range.
The Echo Show offers many more features than Amazon’s Echo line of smart speakers which, even on their own, have infinite use case scenarios.
I think the Echo Show 10 is the best all-around smart display, but you can get an Echo Show 8 for substantially less money if you’re on a budget. I really like the 15 also, but the sound quality is lacking when compared to the 10 or even the 8.
Conclusion
The Amazon Echo Show is a unique device that offers a new way to interact with your favorite assistant, Alexa. It allows you to access tons of features and control all your compatible smart home devices using just your voice.
If you’re looking for a convenient hands-free way to keep up with the news, and weather, play music and videos, and operate your smart home, the Echo Show is definitely worth considering.
