Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) Review: Faster and more personal

Verdict

The all-new Echo Present 8 (3^rd Gen) ramps up the sensible house abilities with the inclusion of Matter, Thread and Zigbee, and likewise has efficiency and audio boosts over its predecessor. The show continues to be a bit bland and there are some UI tweaks wanted to actually take advantage of the brand new {hardware} however, total, Amazon’s newest mid-sized sensible show is a strong possibility for Alexa lovers. 

Introduction

The Amazon Echo Present 8 (Third Gen) is the most recent entrant within the ever-evolving world of sensible audio system with screens. Whereas Google appears to have given up the ghost on this class, and Apple is but to play its hand, Amazon has gone with the method of extra, extra, extra.

Scorching on the heels of the three^rd-gen Echo Present 5, and becoming a member of the ranks alongside the Present 10, Present 15 and the soon-to-launch Echo Hub, the most recent and biggest Present 8 picks up from the place its predecessor left off, with an 8-inch HD show and a 13MP digicam on board.

However it additionally beefs up the processing and audio energy, whereas ramping up the sensible house credentials too, by integrating Matter and Thread alongside Zigbee, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Amazon Sidewalk

There are additionally some nifty new inclusions and options you received’t discover on another Echo Present.

Design and Construct

• New, curvier design
• Bodily digicam shutter
• Quantity and mute controls on prime

Whereas the 2nd and Third-gen Echo Present 8 fashions share loads by way of {hardware}, the visible overhaul is fairly stark.

The brand new Present 8 takes design cues from the most recent Present 5, embracing a extra streamlined and curvier kind issue. It’s not precisely breaking the mould however the edge-to-edge glass entrance definitely enhances the 8-inch show’s appears, albeit with that chunky bezel nonetheless on board.

That show retains its 1280 x 800 HD decision from the earlier mannequin, so there’s nothing to get enthusiastic about right here however the brand new iteration gives the look of improved visuals, particularly when juxtaposed with the curvier design of the speaker housing.

The Present 8 is available in charcoal and white, with the choice of an extra stand for added flexibility.

When it comes to controls, the amount buttons are positioned on the proper, the mute microphone button on the left.

There’s additionally a bodily shutter change for the 13MP digicam, which now occupies the central spot on the bezel.

Measuring barely bigger than its predecessor at 200 x 139 x 106mm and weighing simply over 1kg, Amazon’s emphasis on sustainability equates to crafting the Present 8 from 29% recycled supplies, and 99% of the packaging consists of wood-fibre-based supplies sourced from accountable forests or recycled sources.

Options

• Visible ID facial recognition
• Adaptive Content material shows personalised data
• Sooner processor

Powered by Amazon’s voice assistant, Alexa, the Echo Present 8 is a treasure trove of voice-activated capabilities however I received’t delve into the specifics on this evaluate – our information to Amazon Alexa goes into extra element on all of that.

For sure, as with the entire newest Echo Present units, the 8 seamlessly integrates with related cameras, video doorbells, and an absolute multitude of sensible house units.

Whereas the display screen and digicam specs stay unchanged, the 2023 Echo Present 8 has a big uptick in processing energy. This enhancement stems from its octa-core SoC, with Amazon’s AZ2 Neural Community Engine on board.

The result’s a 40% enhance in processing energy that’s palpable in its snappy responsiveness to voice instructions and contact interactions. The two^nd-gen Present 8 was a contact sluggish, there’s none of that lagging on the brand new entry.

A brand-new function for the Present vary debuts on the 2023 Present 8: Adaptive Content material, which makes use of the proximity sensors to customise the homescreen based mostly in your location throughout the room.

As an example, once you’re throughout the room, it would show a steered recipe and, as you method, it unfolds to indicate extra particulars on the dish and a suggestion of a talent the place you could find it.

Moreover, personalization could be taken to the following degree with Visible ID configured by your Amazon account. With this, the Echo Present 8 acknowledges people and shows related data. As an example, it might reveal your favorite group’s newest outcomes when it acknowledges you or present age-appropriate content material to your baby when they’re in proximity.

For customers who primarily use the Present for displaying pictures, the Adaptive Content material function merely presents icons to your chosen widgets as you method.

On the Present 8, widgets don’t stay completely on the display screen. As an alternative, you’ll be able to choose a most of 4, and icons to your chosen widgets seem on the prime of the display screen once you’re close by, and also you’ll must faucet to entry them.

The Present 8, with Thread and Zigbee radios, together with Matter controller performance, is a fairly complete sensible house hub (sorry Z-Wave).

Organising Matter over Wi-Fi, Matter over Thread, and Zigbee bulbs instantly with the Present 8 is a breeze, delivering seamless and fast native connections without having to hassle the cloud in any respect.

Nonetheless, accessing the sensible house visuals requires an additional display screen faucet, which could be a minor inconvenience, particularly for fast sensible house management actions.

For instance, to activate or off a lightweight you’ll first should faucet that sensible house widget icon to entry your units, after which faucet once more to make the change.

The sensible house controls on provide are fairly good, although I’d have appreciated to have been in a position to completely pin some controls to the homescreen.

Like different current Present fashions, the brand new 8 helps Dwelling Monitoring’s distant view mode by the Alexa app, reworking the sensible show right into a makeshift safety digicam.

Alert notifications pop up on the Present, so anybody within the room is conscious that they’re on digicam and it’s value noting that you just can not report or retailer these video feeds, so it’s not a real indoor safety digicam substitute.

The digicam’s central placement within the newest Present 8 enhances the video calling expertise. It accommodates video calls by Alexa Calling and Skype, although Zoom help is notably absent on this mannequin (Zoom labored on the two^nd-gen Present 8, so it’s an odd omission).

As per the previous-gen Present 8, there’s additionally built-in auto-tracking know-how, which ensures the digicam zooms in to observe your actions throughout calls. That is helpful when video calling from the kitchen whereas cooking, for instance.

The digicam may also be used as a video-based movement detector, triggering Alexa Routines.

Privateness-conscious customers will admire the flexibility to mute the microphone and shut the digicam lens, though doing so does have an effect on some efficiency and options, for apparent causes.

Sound and video high quality

On the subject of  video high quality, the Present 8’s show stays unchanged, delivering acceptable however not distinctive high quality for streaming companies like Amazon Prime Video or Netflix.

It shouldn’t be your go-to major video-watching system, however it performs properly for informal viewing, comparable to once you’re busy within the kitchen or sorting the washing out within the utility room.

A local YouTube app stays conspicuously absent, although Amazon has a minimum of included a shortcut to the online model of YouTube on the Video Dwelling Display, making entry potential, if considerably a ache within the bum nonetheless.

Audio, however, has seen vital enhancements. The Present 8 now has twin 2-inch neodymium stereo audio system paired with a passive bass radiator.

The headline function is the inclusion of spatial audio processing know-how, enhancing the sound expertise, and delivering a broader, extra immersive audio output.

Moreover, room adaption know-how fine-tunes audio playback for optimum sound, akin to Sonos TruePlay.

The result is spectacular; whereas it might not outperform the HomePod or compete with the likes of the Sonos Period 100, it affords a fairly sturdy audio high quality.

Whereas it might not substitute your predominant lounge or eating room speaker, it’s acquired greater than sufficient energy for settings just like the bed room, workplace, or kitchen.

As with all Echo audio system you’ll be able to get pleasure from music and podcasts from varied streaming platforms together with Amazon Music, Apple Music, and Spotify.

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