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Overview

The Amazon Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen) sits right in the sweet spot of Amazon’s smart display lineup — bigger and more capable than the compact Echo Show 5, but more affordable and space-conscious than the larger Echo Show 10. It pairs an 8-inch HD touchscreen with a significantly upgraded 13-megapixel camera, dual 2-inch speakers, a four-microphone array for far-field voice pickup, and a faster MediaTek MT8183 octa-core processor under the hood. It launched at $129.99 and is available in Charcoal or Glacier White, with the Charcoal model reviewed here.

Display and Design

The 8-inch HD screen is a genuine step up from the Echo Show 5, giving noticeably more room for video calls, recipes, photos, and browsing content, and reviewers consistently describe the picture as crisp and vibrant for everyday use like streaming video or following along with recipes in the kitchen. The design itself keeps the same understated, triangular wedge shape as its predecessor — it’s not flashy, but it blends into a kitchen counter or bedside table without drawing attention to itself.

A nice practical touch on top of the unit: physical volume buttons, a microphone mute button, and a sliding camera cover for anyone who wants a hardware-level privacy guarantee rather than relying on software settings alone.

Camera and Video Calls

The jump to a 13MP camera (up from 1MP on the previous generation) is one of the most meaningful upgrades on this model, and it shows in real use. The higher resolution allows for clearer video calls, especially when you’re sitting farther from the screen, and the wider field of view means less awkward framing during calls or Alexa Drop-Ins. Owners specifically call out how much this has improved staying connected with family through video calls compared to older devices.

Sound Quality

For its size, the Echo Show 8 punches above expectations audio-wise. The dual 2-inch speakers, hidden behind the mesh backing, deliver a genuinely enjoyable listening experience with more bass response than you’d expect from a display this size — enough oomph for kick drums and bass lines when playing music, not just clear enough for voice responses.

Alexa Performance and Setup

Alexa responsiveness is consistently praised across reviews, handling everything from weather checks and smart home control to music playback quickly and accurately. Setup is also simple — the whole process can be completed directly on the touchscreen without needing a smartphone, and most reviewers report having the device fully running within a matter of minutes. A minor recurring complaint from some Echo Show 8 owners (including on the newer 3rd-gen model) is having to manually disable a long list of pre-selected “interests” to fully customize the home screen — a small setup annoyance rather than a functional flaw.

Smart Home and Extra Features

Beyond media and voice control, the Echo Show 8 functions as a genuinely capable smart home hub, letting you control lights, thermostats, cameras, and other connected devices from a single screen. The upgraded camera also enables video-based motion detection that can trigger custom routines — for example, automatically turning on lights when you walk into a room.

Pros and Cons