 The first-generation Echo Show in white | |
| Developer | Amazon |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Amazon |
| Type | Smart speaker |
| Released |
|
| Operating system | Fire OS (Android-based) |
| Input | Voice command,Touchscreen |
| Connectivity | WiFi andBluetooth |
| Website | Amazon.com product listing |
Amazon Echo Show is asmart speaker with a screen that is part of theAmazon Echo line of products. Similarly to other devices in the family, it is designed aroundAmazon'svirtual assistantAlexa, but additionally features atouchscreen display that can be used to display visual information to accompany its responses, as well as play video and conductvideo calls with other Echo Show users. Thevideo call feature was later expanded to include allSkype andZoom users.[1]
The Echo Show was unveiled on May 9, 2017, and released in the United States on June 28, 2017.[2] It has received positive reviews, with critics noting its improved sound quality over the standard Echo speaker, its simplicity, and how the screen is used to supplement Alexa rather than act as a full-featuredtablet. Critics have also noted that many third-party Alexa functions have not been updated to fully utilize the screen.
The Echo Show was unveiled on May 9, 2017, and released in the United States on June 28, 2017.[2]
A second generation of the Echo Show was unveiled at an Alexa-themed product event by Amazon on September 20, 2018, for release the following month.[3] This device has a 10 inches (250 mm) touchscreen, improved speakers, and mesh casing.[4]
An Echo Show with a smaller, 5.5-inch screen was announced in May 2019[5] and launched in 12 countries in June 2019.[6]
The first-generation Echo Show (released in June 2017) contains a pair of two-inch speakers and is distinguished from other Echo products by containing a 7-inch touchscreen. As with other Echo devices, it can conduct voice calls, as well asvideo calls to other Echo Show users and through Skype with its 5-megapixel front-facing camera.
The second-generation Echo Show (released in October 2018) is completely redesigned from the first generation. The new device replaces the black plastic with a mesh casing while keeping the same device shape.[7] The speakers were moved to the side and back of the device to allow a 3-inch larger display. Amazon claims that the new version will have better sound quality. It also integrates aZigbee hub, similar to the Echo Plus.[8]
The Echo Show 5 is a variation with a 5.5-inch display.[9]
The Echo Show 8 is a variation with an 8" display, announced in September 2019 for shipment in November 2019.[10]
The third-generation Echo Show (released in February 2021) changed the form factor to have a cylindrical speaker base with a screen which can rotate around it, with voice direction detection and computer vision human detection.[11]
The Echo Show 5 was updated in June 2021 with an improved 2 MP camera.[12]
The Echo Show 8 was updated in June 2021 with an improved 13 MP camera.[13]
The Echo Show 15 is a 15.6-inch, 1080p Full HD device designed to be wall-mounted (a departure from previous tabletop forms). Announced on September 28, 2021, in Amazon's 'Devices and Services Event'[14] it also includes a 5 MP camera.
The Echo Show 5 was updated in 2023 with new processors, including the Amazon AZ2, and a larger speaker.[15]
The Echo Show 8 was redesigned and is available with an improved AZ3 Pro processor, changed styling, an improved 8.7" HD touchscreen, built-in smart home hub, and Omnisense technology for highly personalized experiences.[16]
The new Echo Show 11 is a larger version of the 4th Gen Echo Show 8, with all the above features.[17]
| Model | Echo Show (1st Gen) | Echo Show (2nd Gen) | Echo Show 5[9] | Echo Show 8[10] | Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen)[18] | Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen)[12] | Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen)[13] | Echo Show 15 | Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen)[15] | Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen)[19] | Echo Show 8 (4th Gen)[16] | Echo Show 11 (1st Gen) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released | June 2017 | October 2018 | June 2019 | November 2019 | February 2021 | June 2021 | June 2021 | September 2021 | May 2023 | October 2023 | November 2025 | November 2025 |
| Processor | Intel Atom x5-Z8350 | Intel Atom x5-Z8350 | MediaTek MT8163 | MediaTek MT8163 | MediaTek MT8183 +Amazon AZ1 | MediaTek MT8163 | MediaTek MT8183 | Amlogic PopcornA +Amazon AZ2 | MediaTek MT8169B +Amazon AZ2 | Amazon AZ2 octa-core | AZ3 Pro with AI Accelerator | AZ3 Pro with AI Accelerator |
| Screen size | 7" | 10.1" | 5.5" | 8" | 10.1" | 5.5" | 8" | 15.6" | 5.5" | 8" | 8.7" | 11" |
| Resolution | 1024×600 | 1280×800 | 960×480 | 1280×800 | 1280×800 | 960×480 | 1280×800 | 1920×1080 | 960×480 | 1280×800 | 1340x800 | 1920x1200 |
| Camera | 5 MP | 5 MP | 1 MP | 1 MP | 13 MP | 2 MP | 13 MP | 5 MP | 2 MP | 13 MP auto-framing | 13 MP auto-framing | 13 MP auto-framing |
| Microphone /camera off button | ✔ (top) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ (side) | ✔ (side) |
| Camera cover | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | - | - | ||
| Zigbee hub | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
| Matter hub | "compatible" | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||||
| Speakers | 2 × 2" | 2 × 2.2", 10 W | 1 × 1.7", 4 W | 2 × 2.0", 10 W | 2 × 1.0” tweeters + 3.0” woofer | 1 × 1.7", 4 W | 2 × 2.0", 10 W | 2 × 1.6" | 1 × 1.75" | 2 × 2.0" | 2.8” woofer + 2 full-range drivers | 2.8” woofer + 2 full-range drivers |
| Motorized Rotation | ✔ | |||||||||||
| Alexa+ Compatible | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
The screen on Echo Show can be used to display visual output forAlexa assistant responses. The devices contain motion sensors to automatically wake its screen when someone enters a room; in this state, it can also display prompts regarding news headlines, suggested Alexa commands, and other information. Alexa can also be used to request the playback of videos on its screen, such asAmazon Video content.
The "Drop In" feature allows users to, between designated contacts, automatically begin a call unannounced.[20][21][22][23]
The Echo Show initially supportedYouTube videos; on September 26, 2017, it was revealed thatGoogle (who manufacturesGoogle Home,a direct competitor to theAmazon Echo line) had blocked the device's access to the service, citing violations of itsterms of service and ongoing negotiations. While Amazon later worked around the restriction by using the web version, Google announced that it would block YouTube from the Echo Show, as well as theFire TV platform, citing Amazon's ongoingrestrictions against the sale of products which compete with its own video ecosystem, and refusal to support its own video platform on Google devices.[24][25][26] At the launch of the second-generation Echo Show, Amazon claimed that the issue was now fixed. YouTube searches are now performed using theSilk orFirefoxweb browsers on the device.[27]
In November 2019, a security research team in thePwn2Own hacking contest hacked into an Amazon Echo Show 5. They did so by hacking into the "patch gap" that meshed older software patched onto other platforms, as the smart screen used an old version ofChromium. The security team exploited the code using "aninteger overflowJavaScript bug to hijack the device while it was connected to a maliciousWiFi network."[28] The bug allowed them to take "full control" of the device.[29] The team shared the findings with Amazon,[30] which said it was investigating the hack, and would take "appropriate steps."[28]
In 2025, community developerR0rt1z2 published methods for unlocking the bootloader and installing a custom recovery (TWRP) on the first-generationAmazon Echo Show 5 (codenamecheckers) andAmazon Echo Show 8 (codenamecrown). The work, hosted on developer forums and accompanied by publicly available source code, describes exploit-based procedures and warns of a significant risk of device bricking.[31][32][33]
The published procedure describes two exploit variants: a user-facing method that leverages the device's fastboot interface (intended for functional devices) and a second, lower-level method that abuses the device bootrom (BROM/USBDL) path. The latter method only works on units manufactured in 2019, as Amazon disabled BROM USBDL access on later hardware revisions; it is principally useful for recovering bricked units or devices that cannot be updated to a vulnerable firmware version.[34][35]
Additionally, unofficial builds ofLineageOS 18.1 (based onAndroid 11) were released in 2025 for both devices.[36][37] These community ROMs replace the stockFire OS firmware and allow the devices to function more like conventional Android tablets.
The Verge compared the Echo Show to previous "internet appliances" such as the3Com Audrey andChumby, but acknowledged that neither of them was equipped with a voice-activatedvirtual assistant, and both were built with too much functionality. In comparison, Amazon was praised for having intentionally limited the amount of touchscreen-oriented functionality on the Echo Show, so that the device would not be complex. It was noted that few third-partyAlexa Skills actually took advantage of the screen, and there were limited options for video services that integrated withAlexa. The sound quality of the Echo Show was perceived as being superior to the standardEcho, but lower than other dedicated speakers at the same price point. The camera was also panned for being angled upwards (thus making it harder for shorter people to use), and for not handlingbacklighting well. In conclusion, it was felt that "from nearly any other company, adding a screen would have resulted in feature-itis of the worst kind. By holding back, the Echo Show feels like it does more. Its strength is in its simplicity."[20]
Pocket-lint felt that the white model had an "air of modern", but the black model looked "kind of dated, oddly boxy, and just downright blah to us". The updated mesh fabric covering on the second-generation product addressed these complaints. Its sound quality was praised for being able to "fill your entire room and then some", and the ability to look up and viewYouTube videos was "not the fastest experience", but "quick enough and has yet to glitch out on us." The "Drop In" feature was praised as being potentially useful for checking on "elderly loved ones".[23] The device was also praised for integrating withsmart home products (such as home security cameras, which can display their feeds on the screen). However, it was felt that the "unfinished"Alexa still hampered the experience (noting an error where it played the filmCreed when asked to play music by the bandCreed), and that some Skills had not been updated to fully support the screen, but that "if nothing else, it is fun to poke around and explore what elseAlexa can do." In conclusion, it was argued that at its price point, it could have featured higher-quality speakers and a full OS with an app store, but the sound quality alone justified its higher price over the original Echo.[23]
In a review of the second-generation model,Pocket-lint praised its improvements to audio quality (albeit being "bass-heavy"), screen size, Zigbee support, and "neater" design. The display was panned for being too reflective and having a near-720p resolution. In addition, it was noted that optimization of third-party Skills for the Echo Show was still inconsistent.[38]
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