Echo Show 8 (newest) — 8.7″ HD Smart Display & Spatial Audio
Echo Show 8 (newest) combines an 8.7″ HD touchscreen, spatial audio, AZ3 Pro chip, and built‑in smart home hub — great for Alexa homes.
Introduction
The Amazon Echo Show 8 (newest model) is a mid‑sized smart display built to be the visual and vocal centerpiece of a modern Alexa home. It blends a vibrant 8.7″ HD touchscreen with spatial audio and an upgraded AZ3 Pro chip, delivering a device that’s equally comfortable on a kitchen counter, office desk, or nightstand. If you’ve ever wanted a single device that organizes your day, elevates your entertainment, and centralizes smart home control, the Echo Show 8 aims to make that effortless.
This Echo Show iteration addresses the familiar friction points of smart displays: sluggish interfaces, mediocre sound, and fragmented smart home management. With Omnisense personalization, Alexa+ early access, and a built‑in smart home hub, Amazon positions the Echo Show 8 as both a proactive assistant and a hub for connected living. Whether you want hands‑free information in the kitchen, clearer video calls with family, or a smart display that doubles as a digital photo frame, this model is designed to make those everyday tasks faster and more enjoyable.
Overview
Design-wise the Echo Show 8 strikes a balanced profile: not so large it dominates a countertop, but large enough to provide a genuinely useful display. The 8.7″ vibrant HD touchscreen is housed in a sleek Graphite chassis with fabric‑wrapped speaker housing and a front‑facing camera that sits neatly above the screen. The overall aesthetic is modern and unobtrusive, intended to integrate with contemporary home decor while offering tactile controls and visible privacy switches for peace of mind.
Under the hood the device brings tangible performance upgrades. The AZ3 Pro chip is designed to keep the UI responsive, speed up on‑device processing, and support Omnisense features such as presence detection and visual ID. Spatial audio provides room‑filling sound that improves music and TV preview playback compared with older Echo Show models, while the built‑in smart home hub simplifies pairing and controlling thousands of Zigbee‑compatible devices. Alexa+ early access promises a more proactive, personalized assistant experience (availability and features depend on region and rollout).
Features
Centered Auto‑Framing Camera for Natural Video Calls: The front camera includes auto‑framing, 3.3x zoom, and noise reduction to make video calls feel more natural. The camera follows subjects during movement, keeps conversations centered, and improves the clarity of remote check‑ins. Privacy controls, including a microphone and camera disable button, are built into the device and app.
Room‑Filling Spatial Audio: Dual speakers tuned for spatial audio elevate music, shows, and voice responses beyond the typical smart display speaker. Expect fuller mids and more immersive stereo presence that livens up kitchen playlists and background TV audio without needing a separate soundbar for casual listening.
Vibrant 8.7″ HD Touchscreen: The Echo Show 8’s 8.7″ vibrant HD touchscreen offers crisp, readable visuals for recipes, streaming, photo slideshows, and video calls. The larger-than-compact size balances readability with footprint, making menus, calendar items, and rich content easy to scan from across a room.
AZ3 Pro Chip & Omnisense Personalization: The AZ3 Pro processor improves overall responsiveness, accelerates local features, and enables Omnisense personalization. Omnisense uses temperature, presence, and visual cues to trigger routines or present contextual suggestions — so the device anticipates needs like lighting adjustments, reminders, or tailored recipe suggestions.
Built‑In Smart Home Hub & Seamless Controls: With an integrated smart home hub, the Echo Show 8 pairs directly with thousands of compatible devices without an additional bridge. Use the touchscreen or voice to manage lights, thermostats, cameras, and locks. Camera feeds display in a single tap, and on‑screen controls make it easy to create and run routines.
Benefits
Better Entertainment Without Extra Hardware
Spatial audio and a vibrant HD screen deliver an improved music and streaming preview experience — ideal for casual viewing and listening without investing in separate speakers or a TV upgrade.
Faster, More Accurate Assistance
The AZ3 Pro chip keeps the display and voice interactions snappy, so fetching recipes, checking calendars, or asking follow‑up questions feels quicker and more natural than older, slower smart displays.
Simplified Daily Routines
Features like Omnisense and the smart home hub mean routines can start automatically based on presence or environmental triggers, reducing hands‑on management and making your home respond to your life rather than the other way around.
Privacy‑First Controls
Dedicated microphone and camera disable buttons, plus on‑device and in‑app camera controls, let you manage privacy without digging through menus — an important reassurance for camera‑equipped smart devices.
Improved Communication & Monitoring
Auto‑framing and noise reduction make family video calls clearer and more engaging, while live view and camera controls let you check on pets or the home remotely with confidence.
Usages
Ideal for Smart Home Control and Automation
Place the Echo Show 8 in a central room to control and monitor smart lights, thermostats, cameras, and locks. Create and run routines using voice or touch, and let Omnisense activate actions automatically when it detects presence or environmental conditions.
Great for Cooking, Planning, and Quick Media
Follow step‑by‑step recipes hands‑free, view your calendar at a glance, and stream music or shows while you work. The screen is large enough to read instructions and the audio strong enough to replace a small kitchen speaker.
Photo Display & Ambient Information Hub
When idle, the Echo Show 8 can display curated photo slideshows or personalized content such as weather, commute updates, and reminders — turning a practical device into a stylish digital frame.
Perfect for Video Calls and Remote Check‑Ins
Use the Echo Show 8 to make centered video calls with family and friends. Auto‑framing and 3.3x zoom keep the subject in focus, and noise reduction improves voice clarity, making conversations feel more natural than standard tablet calls.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Vibrant 8.7″ HD touchscreen that remains readable across rooms
- Room‑filling spatial audio improves music and casual TV playback
- AZ3 Pro chip and Omnisense make interactions faster and more personalized
- Built‑in smart home hub reduces the need for extra hardware
- Robust privacy controls including physical mic/camera disable buttons
- Auto‑framing camera and noise reduction deliver better video calls
Cons
- Requires constant power (no battery portability)
- Full range of Alexa+ features may need regional rollout or subscription
- Not a 4K display — while great for streaming previews, it’s not a replacement for a dedicated 4K TV
- Advanced personalization raises potential privacy questions for some users despite controls
FAQs
Do I need a separate hub to connect smart lights and cameras?
No separate hub is required for many devices. The Echo Show 8 has a built‑in smart home hub for direct pairing with numerous smart lights, plugs, locks, and cameras. Some proprietary systems may still require their own bridge; verify with the accessory manufacturer.
How difficult is setup and how does it connect to Wi‑Fi?
Setup is straightforward: plug in the device, follow the on‑screen prompts and Alexa app instructions, and connect to your home Wi‑Fi network. The process is designed to be user‑friendly for non‑technical users and includes guided pairing for smart home gear.
How do I disable the camera and microphone for privacy?
Physical buttons on the Echo Show 8 let you disable the microphone and camera instantly. Additional privacy settings and camera controls are available in the Alexa app, giving you granular control over features like drop‑ins and recorded content.
Is the Echo Show 8 compatible with non‑Amazon smart devices?
Yes. The Echo Show 8’s built‑in hub and Alexa compatibility support thousands of third‑party smart devices. Most Zigbee and Alexa‑compatible products pair directly; check the device compatibility list for specific brands and models.
What is Alexa+ Early Access and do I need to pay?
Alexa+ Early Access offers a smarter, more proactive assistant experience with personalized routines and suggestions. Availability and potential subscription requirements vary by region — review Amazon’s Alexa+ details during setup to see which features are included and which may require an upgrade.
Product Specifications
| Weight & Dimensions | Compact footprint suitable for countertop or desk — see product listing for exact measurements |
| Processor | AZ3 Pro chip for on‑device responsiveness |
| Warranty | Limited warranty (check Amazon listing for region‑specific details) |
| Color | Graphite |
| Smart Assistant | Alexa with Alexa+ Early Access features (availability varies) |
| Privacy | Microphone & camera enable/disable button and on‑device privacy controls |
| Model | Amazon Echo Show 8 (newest model) |
| Connectivity | Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth support for streaming and pairing; Zigbee compatibility for many devices |
| Included Accessories | Power adapter and Quick Start guide (contents may vary by region) |
| Camera | Centered auto‑framing camera with 3.3x zoom and noise reduction |
| Audio | Spatial audio with dual‑speaker configuration |
| Smart Home Hub | Built‑in hub for pairing and controlling compatible devices |
| Display | 8.7‑inch vibrant HD touchscreen |
Ratings
| Value for Money | 4.5 |
| Touch / UI Responsiveness | 4.3 |
| Display Quality & Brightness | 4.7 |
| Audio Performance | 4.4 |
| Connectivity & Compatibility | 4.0 |
| Smart Features & Voice Responsiveness | 4.6 |
| Camera & Video Call Experience | 4.1 |
Recommendation
If you want an all‑around smart display that improves cooking routines, video calling, and smart home control without taking up a lot of space, the Echo Show 8 is an excellent choice. It’s especially well suited to Alexa households that already use smart lights, cameras, or locks.
Buy this device if you value strong daily utility — a responsive assistant, integrated hub, improved audio, and a useful mid‑sized screen — and if you prioritize privacy controls built into a camera‑equipped product.
Conclusion
The Amazon Echo Show 8 (newest model) is a thoughtful upgrade for users who want a smarter, more proactive Alexa experience in a compact, attractive package. The combination of an 8.7″ vibrant HD display, spatial audio, and the AZ3 Pro chip creates a device that performs well for recipes, casual streaming, and hands‑free control of your connected home.
Beyond raw specs, the Echo Show 8 sells its value in everyday convenience: faster responses, smarter automation through Omnisense, and a well‑integrated smart home hub that simplifies device management. While advanced Alexa+ features may roll out gradually and the unit isn’t a replacement for a 4K TV, it hits the sweet spot for most households seeking a polished, privacy‑minded smart display.
