Amazon Echo Show (1st gen. 2017)

Great display ; Smart home control at your fingertips ; Excellent audio quality ; Can watch Amazon Prime Video

Relatively expensive ; Poor YouTube access

The Echo Show was a trend setter, but it's since been superseded by the new Amazon Echo Show Gen 2

Useful screen ; Video calling works well ; More intuitive than other Echo devices ; Best-sounding Echo so far

Expensive ; Not the best-looking thing

In many ways, the best Amazon Echo experience.

Alexa takes great advantage of the new touchscreen ; Music sounds great over the new speaker ; Echo Show does everything the original Echo does ; It'll get better over time as developers build skills for the touchscreen

Odd, angular design ; Low-resolution screen

Amazon essentially created a category with the Echo, and the Echo Show marks the first significant re-thinking of what a voice-activated home-hub can be. Ultimately, the screen isn't essential , but it proved to be very useful. And the improved speaker...

Easy to use ; Some Alexa features, like timers and lists, are better with visuals ; Plays videos and gives visual search results ; Lots of potential uses for an assistant with a screen

Skills still need some work ; No privacy shutter

Right now, the Echo Show’s on-screen features aren’t show-stoppers. We can see a lot of potential, though.

Attractive design ; Large screen displays lots of info ; Good for video playback ; Fire TV integration

Pricey ; Underwhelming camera quality ; Middling audio performance

The Amazon Echo Show 15 can be easily mounted on your wall and works as a Fire TV, but other smart displays offer better audio and camera quality if you have space on a counter or table.

Alexa voice control ; Decent sound and video ; Nicely put together

Audio quality isn't the best

If you want to get into the world of the digital assistant with both audio and video, the Echo Show 5 is a great way to do it.

Awesome voice recognition ; Visually rich touchscreen ; Competent smart home hub

Speaker still sounds shallow ; Video calling is limited

The Echo Show is more of a fun, ancillary device than a necessity, like the Echo or the Dot. It adds value by combining devices you already have and ones you could buy at a lower price elsewhere – just look at the Amazon Echo Dot, for example. But all...

Touch screen useful for discovery, selecting suggested items, and controlling playback. Full range of Alexa features with visuals.

Limited touch control options. Dated design. Unimpressive audio quality and mediocre screen for the price.

Bottom Line: The Amazon Echo Show combines the Alexa voice assistant with a 7-inch touch screen and stereo speakers, but its smaller successor has proven to be a better experience.

Isn't trying to be a tablet ; Better sound than other smart speakers ; Video conferencing between Shows is easy

Not enough screen-enabled skills yet ; Could be better sound for the price ; Camera can't handle backlit rooms

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