9.1.2020

(NOTE: This is an updated review...the last review said 3 stars/this one says 4. The first time I brought it...it only functioned well for a couple days; then, the ability to receive commands, quite suddenly, stopped...?! However, I was easily able to fix this...quite simply, plug the device out/then, back in, again. Now, it's been working well for over a week; and, with absolutely nil problems.)Plus points...+ Basically, it does absolutely everything that Alexa can do, including: set timers/reminders/calendar/lists/-etc.; and, thanks to the added display...can do so much more...+ Definitely better than an Echo 'dumb' box; you can actually 'see' the Time/Weather report/-etc.; so, no need to keep on,repeatedly, asking. (Time/Weather are shown, constantly, on the Home screen...to get there just, simply, say: "Alexa, home".+ Can watch YouTube videos (type your selection in using the on screen keyboard)+ Looks great (wish I had brought a bigger screen size, though: 10 inch/as opposed to 8 inch...brought on special offer...as I like watching YouTube movies)+ Plays music...also shows the lyrics...so, that you can sing along/and, gradually, learn the tunes+ Sounds great (sound seems to be so much better than is my Echo dot/or, even full size Echo/it just sounds a lot more well rounded and full...whether that's: bass/treble...I'm really not sure...because I'm a layman/not a sound engineer)+ You can set it to do a continuously rolling display of 'random' artworks in the background (I love seeing the 'quality' of the graphical display when it shows art)+ I can say, "Alexa, show my photos; and, it shows me a continuously rolling display of my photos (you can also hit: '<' / 'II' / '>' buttons to scroll either: backwards/pause/forwards. NOTE: It doesn't seem to 'pause', forever, though; it just stops for a time...; then, continues scrolling.+ To make a phone call...just say: "Dial nnnn-nnn-nnnn"...where 'n' is the number you wish to call...and, it actually does it...the display shows exactly how long you been talking for in minutes/seconds...as well as, the is an 'End' call button.+Minus points...- Lots of Amazon related adverts (which, honestly, I really don't mind; because, sometimes, I find these informative...teaching me how to use Alexa more...)- A bit of an awkward 'triangular' shape...which makes it rather bulky (I'm used to using iPad 4 which is 'flat'.)- Price...it's best to buy when it's on special offer...I think, I got it for around £59.99 (NOTE: The current full price of the Echo 5 is £79.99/and, the full price of the Echo 8 is £119.99...so, on special offer, I got it for half price, basically.)- In some respects the overall UI could be better (I'm used to using iPad 4 where the UI is a lot more smooth/easier to find stuff)-Features not used, yet...~ Face time talk with other Echo Show users~ Control external devices: I haven't brought lights one can dim/-etc. (Figure, it's an unnecessary waste of funds; who knows, maybe, could change my mind, in future; might try it, just to discover 'how that works'...?)~I'm really not sure what else to add here...; but, as I become more familiar with using it...; then, I'll return to update these notes further.CONCLUSION: DISPLAY VS NO DISPLAYIf someone were to ask me...should I stick with Echo 'dumb' box...without any screen display; then, yes, I would certainly recommend you go for a screen display, instead. -(If only to have the 'experience'; if you find you really don't like it...; then, usually, you can return the item back promptly for a full refund.)-Though, my guess is you, most probably, wouldn't wish to return it...as it's so much better than a 'dumb' box...even for the room 'light' it gives; and, the constantly changing display.At first, I only used full size Echo/and, Echo Dot...none of which had the added screen display benefits; and, frankly, after a while...that get's awfully boring...just staring at this 'dead' box! You keep on thinking to yourself...if only...?!If I could afford it...and, had truly sufficient room 'space'...then, I would dump all of the Echo Dots...and, just go for Echo's using a display, instead; however, if finding sufficient room 'space' is a problem...then, I would go with a mixture of Echo Dots/and, maybe, 1 or 2 Echo display items: Echo Spot/Echo Show/-etc.-----If I'm honest this whole Alexa thing must be a huge 'money maker' for Amazon(bearing in mind, that the whole point of being in business is to make money...and, keep on making money); because,...- First, they had Alexa devices with no display- Now, they got Alexa devices with built-in displays- Later on, I'm sure, these small displays will get a hell of a lot bigger...bigger display/bigger sound- They might even make a few smaller devices...such as an Alexa wrist watch (just like Apple did)- and, so on......thus, you will be tempted to buy more and more Amazon devices for all the rest of your entire life.I'm not blaming Amazon themselves...as nearly all of the manufacturer's tend to do exactly the same: Google/Apple/-etc.; but, I'm just saying that's the truth about the way it is. Most probably, next year, you will need to buy what is the 'latest' device, again.Is Alexa strictly necessary...bearing in mind we already have the phone/and, the TV/PC/Laptop/Mobile...somehow, I think not. It's just that all of this constant advertising surrounding us nearly everywhere we go...and, also, going at half-price offers...makes us believe we 'need' it; even when, in reality, we don't! The bitter truth is, it's not a 'need'; more of a 'want'...want this/want that/want absolutely everything and more...feeding into our must amass 'new' items greed.If I want the time, I could just merely turn my head to glimpse at the wall clock.If I want the weather report, I can turn on the TV...and, using the remote find: weatherIf I want to watch YouTube videos...I can turn on the PC/or, Internet connected TV...and, watch YouTube thereIf I want to listen to a song...again, I can go to the PC...to either hear/watchQ: Do I need Alexa?A: Not really, no.Q: Once, you're already experienced Alexa...would you ever wish to be without it?A: Honestly, I prefer it for the sake of sheer 'convenience'. Rather like 'take away' food...it sort of saves you having to go prepare everything yourself...instead, everything just appears there, instantly, right away. That for me, is the 'Alexa-addiction'...!

30.12.2019

Bought (at 50% off over Black Friday) to replace a bedside clock radio, I’d read reviews of the 5” Show as there were very few for the 8” and it was similar to, but different in some ways to our 10” Show in the kitchen, which is excellent.The main differences to the 10” (other than the lack of a ‘hub’) is the camera closure, but shutting it affects the light sensor which we wanted to dim the screen at night, so consider this if you’re at all spooked by the privacy conspiracies circulating on social media.All the basic functions are as per the other sized Shows and non-screened Echos, but I had hoped that the auto-dimmer would work better at night, as I still have to manually reduce the brightness of the glow from the screen.Once dimmed it’s no brighter than the old clock radio it replaced, but obviously the glow is from the whole screen not just the clock figures. If you want complete darkness you have to ask it to switch off the screen, but then you have no ‘clock’. I’d considered this having read reviews of the 5” Show, but considered the larger screen and better speaker sound for just £10 more to be worthwhile.I’d give it 5* if you could have the screen off with the clock displayed briefly if you touch the screen in the night, before returning to screen off. Currently if you do have the screen off to reduce the glow and touch it, the screen fully activates (scrolling news and pictures etc.) with a small clock, before then going back to the night clock after a while (hence me manually fully reducing the brightness at bedtime) but then you’re left with the screen on and the larger clock again and have to ask it to blank the screen again. Not something you’d want to do if you didn’t want to wake a partner in the middle of the night. Amazon? Worth looking at as a change to the settings for ‘Do not disturb’?If size and sound quality aren’t as important to you, then perhaps the 5” Show is probably better by the bedside?The BBC’s recent and ridiculous decision to remove its radio stations from TuneIn Radio now means that I can’t wake up to Radio 2 or 4 etc. (as it won’t work with BBC Sounds) so means that we now get an alarm wake-up and then have to ask it to play radio. But we could ask it to wake us up to a particular track, playlist or other non-BBC radio station etc.Setting alarms is easy, just ask. I miss just tapping the old DAB clock radio to get a 10 minute snooze, but with this you just have to say “Alexa, snooze”. If you’re trying not to wake-up a partner, make sure you’ve activated ‘whisper mode’. Or swipe down the screen for a 9 minute snooze and swipe up to dismiss the alarm.So, perhaps not the ideal bedside companion but it’s ok and, as it’s far cheaper than the 10” and not much smaller, it would be fine in a kitchen.

29.11.2019

Arrived 4 days earlier than expected. I already possess a couple of Fire tablets and a host of Echo and Echo dots which are located around the house, providing us with music in the most occupied rooms. I purchased this item for my bedside and chose it in preference to the 5” model as I felt this model offered better value. As you increase the size of your "Alexa network" whilst the network itself becomes more capable, you do not get the same sense of innovation from each additional element - basically you are just expanding on a tried and tested innovative platform..Out of the box this item is reassuringly weighty. It is accompanied by a power supply and some very basic instructions,mainly providing instructions for the physical controls. Plug the item in, connect to a wi-fi and away you go. You are prompted to answer a set of questions and within 5 minutes, the unit was set up. There are a whole host of controls and options in settings to configure your Echo show to your particular preference. Personally, I will be using it as a very powerful alarm clock, using the dawn function to increase light ahead of the alarm sounding. Combine that with obtaining details of my diary for the day and a BBC news synopsis, weather forecast and that will be its main daily functions. What I particularly like is being able to say "Alexa, blank the screen" and the whole screen goes blank - whilst there are options to dim the screen at night to a low light level, having the ability to completely switch off the screen is nice for those of us who like total darkness when we sleep: awakening the screen is simple, just say "Alexa......"Obviously the unit is much more powerful than what I am likely to use it for using it as a glorified bedside clock. If you have Amazon Prime, you can access and view the whole range of films/programmes available: the screen quality Is excellent as are the sounds. Playing music is really easy; I use amazon music and this unit streams sounds whilst providing lyrics on screen - the sound quality is good for the price - I woke this morning to Sting, tomorrow it might be Ed Sheeran, etcIt is impossible to list all of the functions of this device as every day even more functions are created for users. Suffice to say, I really do like this item and whilst separately I am using it for a very basic set of functions, as part of the wider “Alexa hub and network” it is another valued element to aid In digitising and automating our home. I am still linking in some of the features, particularly our home security system, all I can say is that it can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be and every day I add something else either as a command or to expand our network.

19.4.2020

We’ve had the Show 8 for a few weeks now, having had Alexa dots in other rooms for quite some time. Here’s what I like and don’t like about it- Cons3rd party integrations for news and sport still very limited. If you want the short BBC bulletin or your support a major premiership football team your fine. Want local news or scores from other sports your out of luck.- general lack of content. Even though you have the screen, a lot of skills are still made simply for voice only which makes the screen somewhat redundant. For example there are several cooking skills, but only the inbuilt BBC Goodfood app displays the instructions on screen. Perhaps this will come in time.- voice recognition doesn’t seem as good as on the much cheaper dots.

11.12.2019

Perfect screen size for sitting on my desk and everything about this device feels quality. The only problem is that functionality that uses the display is limited. For example, there is no touchscreen calculator, which is something quite useful to have on your desk and all we have is voice controlled calculator that is really only useful for very short and simple calculations. If I need to do some proper Math or add up a shopping list there is no App for that! Yes, something as basic as a calculator with a scrolling results list to view history and be confident I have entered the correct calculation is not available. Also, as with other Amazon devices there is no GPS chip,

19.5.2020

I wasn't sure whether to buy this or Google home or whether to get either at all.I decided on this as it is compatible with my fire stick, it really depends what your using. If you have Google chrome cast, use youtube to stream your music then Google home is probably better.If your name is/ you live with alex, Lexi, Alexis or Alexa I would DEFINITELY get a Google home to save setting it off every five minutes (one of the most annoying features of an AI)I've got to say, on a whole I really like it. The sound quality is great I'm constantly listening to music and audio books on it, I have a bad memory so it reminds me of up and coming events and tasks as well as when to take my medication,

25.5.2020

Not as well featured as the smaller Echo Show 5 as that has more options to work as a bedside clock with more controls on how the clock works and what else will display. Barring that a great way to use Alexa with touch screen controls to use with smart home tech like Blink, Ring or Phillips Hue lighting.Speakers are close in quality to a single large Echo in quality, much better than echo spot or dot or kindle fire and screen quality is like a 8 inch kindle fire, so although not super high res it's fine for general use.Great for control of smart home apps. Work like an Echo speaker with some content also bringing up photos or text as an answer from Alexa. Great as a small Smart TV for Amazon Prime content and Youtube.

24.1.2020

Arrived well packaged but had chips to the base on the front, so knocked stars off. No way could it of got that in transit, and the box was sealed, so baffled by it, know its only cosmetic but..So onwards with a review which I will update it once I can use it. Now there's the catch reading this you will be thinking it's not working, but it is and in full use. I have an 11 year old with downs syndrome, he is not very tech minded cannot understand tablets except ipads, cannot play games like his peers, even sky q he can struggle on. And he is at times non verbal or mumbles and echo dot cannot understand him.So within a minute of signing in as he is ill and off school I was pushed out of the way,

25.11.2019

I love it very smart easy to use looks amazing and the sound is superb. I have several Alexa devices but this by far is the best to date. My main reason for upgrading was to have better visual access to my external cameras and this has not dissapointed. I ordered a second one for the kitchen so that we could have something to watch or listen too whilst preparing dishes and cooking but also access to You tube videos for new recipes. Overall this does everything that my other devices do but with much better sound and a larger touch screen superb job Amazon Well Done.Update 1 - Having used this now for several days and using the term put your money where your mouth is I have two of these new units with a third on order.

7.12.2019

Well, Amazon has raised the bar with this echo show 8, I was drawn to the 5 but wanted a slightly bigger screen for my man cave (Spare room) But the Gen 2 was just too big this is a perfect size and has carried over the privacy camera form the 5 which is a bonus as it is in a bedroom. it is so easy to set up and I found that it linking it to other devices a breeze, like my smart plugs, light's Samsung Tv and radiator valves, so now its a case of buying more items that will work within the Alexa ecosystem. (list of what's connected and going to be below)The inbuilt speakers are really good and would give my Bose mini a good run for its money,

19.12.2019

Owning two other Alexa devices this was my third and being the first with a screen.Straight out the box very sturdy no lose parts rolling around everything bagged up.Unpackaging the device and setting it upVery easy to do plug automatic boot up and set up via WiFi. Once set up I then set up prime photos to test out what that is like. Very easy process to do and explanations on what to do next all the way through.Next I tried out the video calling and decided to drop in on a family member who has the echo show five straight away they said the picture is very clear. They are Deaf so signing to them is key to having the camera. It work brilliant and I can not fault that.

30.12.2019

I bought my first Echo when they were they were first introduced in the UK and currently have eight devices so I am quite familiar with how they operate. I bought the Show 8 on the 22nd of November and I think it is a great product except for one caveat; once it has been playing a radio station or amazon prime music for a period of time it will not stop playing if I say 'stop' or 'pause'. It will, if I request it, change to different radio station and if Ithen ask it to pause or stop it will. None of my other devices behave in this way. If I say ' pause' and then ask it what it heard it will say 'I heard pause'

1.12.2019

Wow, what an upgrade from the 5 incher. Booming bass, huge screen. Heavy and would be difficult as a bedside table occupant due to a large footprint.Have it perched up on a mantelpiece pointing down surveying the living room, a good drop in from the 'bedroom' show 5 and the 'kitchen' show 5, to see what the little ones are up to.PS: also have Arlo Q cameras around the house so can 'alexa show me kids room' on it as well.The quickest is the ring front door view cam, it is on in under 5 seconds. Pretty impressive, considering that is a battery operated camera there.The show 8 still comes with the measly 1 megapixel camera that is in the show 5, which is 20 seconds delayed in starting video for drop ins,

8.12.2019

Already having 2 x Echo Show 2s, and 2 x Echo Dots, I wanted to try the new Echo Show 8 for one of our guest bedrooms. I was a little apprehensive, in that spec pointed to similar performance to its big brother, I was concerned that the sound quality may lack - it doesn't! In fact this Show 8 is fantastic, and is literally just a slightly smaller version.I managed to get on Black Friday deal, what a bargain!Sound is amazing, astonishing clarity and frequency range, with true deep bass, and the display is awesome for such a device. As for skills, fantastic, loads of very good ones.I had a bit of a glitch with this, in that a few days after setting up, it became unresponsive,

28.5.2020

I've had an Echo Show 5 as my bedroom alarm clock for over a year now and love it. Been perfect for that environment and then the Echo Show 8 came along. Anyway I purchased one this week for the kitchen along with the stand, have one of those for the 5. The stand's a pricey option but been happy with it on the 5 and whilst larger for the 8 it's good and looks great. When you collect the box it feels quite heavy and the device is. It's a solid lump which is good and this reflects in the sound which of course is stereo. Content from Prime looks great and still need to do some setting up tweaks plus I'm a waiting for a screen protector which should be here in around an hour but think this is really great for the kitchen.

Amazon Echo Show 8 - Reviews

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