REVIEW: Amazon Echo Show 8 is a smart display with great sound quality

A Amazon has been making investments in the Brazilian market, conquering its space in the various areas in which it operates, such as online services and retail. Another area of ​​focus for the company is connected devices, represented by the line Echo, which now brings its most interesting device to Brazil: the Echo Show 8.

The new smart screen brings important improvements over the youngest Echo Show 5, particularly with regard to the screen and sound quality. Everything that makes the Echo Show 5 a great device for the connected home is still there, thanks to the fully integrated Alexa, the virtual assistant of Amazon. Check out our review of Echo Show 8, the best connected home control center available in the Brazilian market.

Clear and solid design

O Echo Show 8 It is a device with a simple design, robust construction and well finished, with dimensions of 200mm x 135mm x 99mm, and weight of 1,04 kg. The body of the device is made of plastic and can be in black or white.

On the front of the device, we see the 8-inch screen
(hence the name Echo Show 8) with a frame in the color of the device. In the top corner
Right of the screen there is a circular hole for the camera, used for video
calls.

On the upper face, we see the two capture holes for the
microphones between the volume control buttons (mute, increase and decrease
volume). In the right corner, there is a slider switch that opens and closes the protection
of the camera. This is a very interesting resource for those who are afraid of being
being observed in real time, whether by Amazon or third parties.

The entire back cover of the Echo Show 8 is covered by a light gray fabric screen covering the speakers. If viewed from the side, the device has a trapezoidal shape, which gives it the tilt of the screen. On the back of the device, there is a niche with the connection for the 30W power adapter, a P2 port (3,5mm) for audio output, and a micro USB service port, which has no functionality for the user.

The device also has a rubberized base, which maintains
the device firmly on surfaces while helping to isolate vibrations from
loudspeakers.

Hardware stands out for the screen and sound quality

O Amazon Echo Show 8 it has an 8-inch screen, with a resolution of 1280×800 pixels, as a highlight. This resolution is certainly lower than many smartphones today, however it is higher than that of the Echo Show 5, with its small 5,5-inch screen and resolution of 960×480 pixels. The larger screen offers greater comfort for reading information as well as playing media content.

And speaking of media, the device has a pair of 2-inch neodymium speakers, with passive radiators to ensure quality at low frequencies. The sound quality is impressive: the passive radiators do their job, producing a very prominent bass even in songs with this most outstanding characteristic, and the higher frequencies are very crystal clear. If you want to adjust the sound according to your preference, it is possible through the Alexa on your mobile phone, or through the Echo Show 8 system interface.

O Echo Show 8 is controlled by a MediaTek MT8163 SoC, which is the same chipset already used in the tablet Amazon Fire HD 8, 2017. In terms of connectivity, we can count on Dual-band Wi-Fi for 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth networks.

“Alexa, tell us a little about yourself”

The Echo Show 8 runs the Fire OS, operating system based on Android for Amazon's line of devices, which include tablets Kindle Fire, smart speakers and displays Echo, and the media player Fire TV. All system operation on line Echo is based on voice commands, interpreted by the virtual assistant Alexa.

A Alexa is the core element of the Echo Show 8. For any action on the device, just say “Alexa” followed by a command, such as “what's the weather forecast for today?”. If you're new to Amazon's virtual assistant, you'll notice that the system doesn't have many functions natively. Alexa's power comes from the Skills & Tools, which are third-party application and service skills added to the wizard.

For example, you can order a car from the transport app through the Echo Show 8, and it will let you know when the driver is arriving. It is also possible to order food through the delivery app, and the device will show information about the progress of the order, and notifies you when the delivery person is arriving. There are a large number of skills, such as music platforms, video platforms, games, wellness… the list is quite long.

With the touchscreen, you can perform some actions directly on the Echo Show 8. All the initial setup is done through the interface, where you enter your Amazon account data and local wifi settings. Through the screen it is also possible to access some shortcuts such as Amazon Prime videos, latest songs played on Spotify, and contacts to make voice and video calls.

The screen allows you to view videos through Amazon Prime Video, available natively on the system. Streaming services like Hulu e Roku can be added as skills, however they are not available for Brazil. It is also not possible to watch content from Netflix, as there is no such skill available.

Want to watch a video on Youtube? Forget voice commands: you have to do them manually through the Echo Show 8's internet browser, via the YouTube website. () As if you were accessing it from a computer or tablet, search for the title you are looking for and that's it, the content can be played. It's not an impossible path, but it's more work than if you had a specific skill for YouTube.

Connectivity: smart home and video calling

All devices on the line Echo function as a command center for the connected home. This means that you can easily purchase (if you don't already have) connected devices such as lamps, sockets, locks, surveillance cameras, and a host of other smart thingsthat the Echo Show 8 you can command them. Remember when we talked about Alexa Skills? When you have appliances connected to your smart home, you can configure them in different ways: the lights in the room can flicker as soon as food delivery arrives at your house, or the lighting can be turned off after you board your app transport. .

By having a screen, the Echo Show 8 can do a little more than appliances Echo Dot: You can view images from surveillance cameras or from the doorphone. But not only that: with the function Drop in, you can make video calls between devices connected to your Amazon account. If you are at work and want to make a call to your home, or simply see through the camera what is happening in your room, just use this function.

You can make audio calls to any contact who is connected to Alexa – either on their smartphone (via the app) or on any of the Echo devices. If the contact has another Echo Show device, or is accessing it through the Alexa App, they will be able to make a video call. In our tests, the image quality was very good, even though the Echo Show 8's camera only has a resolution of 1 megapixel. We also tested the audio call to an Echo Dot and the quality is good, without the typical delays of calls by app, as in WhatsApp.

Conclusion

O Amazon Echo Show 8 it is an excellent device. For those looking for quality sound equipment, it perfectly replaces the most common bluetooth speakers on the market, with the advantage of being independent from a musical source (such as a smartphone). For those looking for a control center for the connected home, the device is a great resource for home automation.

The screen is a big differentiator in relation to the models Echo Dot, and also to Google Nest Mini, also available in the Brazilian market. Whether to follow recipes, watch a movie or a series, make a video call, or even check the connected cameras in your home, the screen shows that it has a lot of use in addition to showing photos and the weather forecast.

Integration with Alexa makes the experience interesting and fluid, and Skills add value to the device. But beware, services we're used to accessing on smartphones can be hard to find on the Echo Show 8, or even non-existent.

The Amazon Echo Show is sold in Brazil by R$899 , and is available in black and white.

Also check out the unboxing we did of the Echo Show 8 on our YouTube channel:

Technical specifications