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Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission.It's been a couple years since the Echo 8 has gotten an update and even longer for the aging Echo Show 10.
But today Amazon is fixing that with two brand-new smart displays: The fourth-gen Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11. Right away, the first thing you notice about Amazon's refreshed lineup is their designs. In front, there's a slim tablet-based HD display . Around back there's a curvier housing covered in a mesh fabric for the display's internals and speakers that borrows a lot from the new. This is a pretty big departure from Amazon's wedge-shaped predecessors and I think it's a success. Both models look more elegant and refined, while their rounded bases make it easier to angle them properly in whatever room they're in.That said, while both models feature new 13MP cameras with auto-framing tech , neither version has a built-in motor that would allow the entire display to rotate and spin like you got on the old Echo Show 10. I suspect this is a tacit admission by Amazon that a movable display is a bit of a gimmick, at least on a smart display. Or it's just not super necessary when you can just have the device's camera re-compose your video framing dynamically in software.Elsewhere, there are a few handy physical controls for volume located on the right side of the Echo Shows' displays along with a toggle for disabling the onboard mics and camera. Aside from that, there's a single barrel plug in back for power and not much else. So if for some reason you want to connect the new Echo Shows to wired internet, you're going to need to get pretty creative.Aside from its smaller screen, the Echo 8 has practically the same design and features as the larger Echo Show 11. The new Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 are designed around Alexa+ support which includes AI-powered search. The back of the new Echo Shows features a mesh fabric instead of the wedge-shaped plastic housing used on its predecessors. The right side of the Echo Show 8 and 11 features physical controls for volume and a toggle for disabling the device's onboard camera and mics.Here is a size comparison between the new Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to see how the audio on the new Echo Show models compares to the refreshed Echo Studio or Dot Max. However, Amazon's updated displays are a big improvement. They have huge viewing angles so it's never hard to see what's on the screen from wherever your standing. And while Amazon hasn't provided official brightness figures, based on what I've seen, the panels are rather vibrant, so there shouldn't be any major issues viewing things in sunny rooms. Amazon's refreshed UI is also rather straightforward. All you need is a couple taps or swipes to open things like the video tab, music controls, settings and a list of upcoming calendar events. Meanwhile, the addition of Amazon's AZ3 Pro chip has greatly improved the responsiveness of touch and gesture input to the point where it felt a bit faster than the Google Nest Hub Max I have at home.Of course, the real impact of the new Echo Shows is yet to be seen, because while updated hardware is nice, the real value of these smart displays is how they are now better positioned to be the center of Amazon's smart home ecosystem. Both devices support Zigbee, Matter and Thread so it should be easy to use them to control other devices, while features like a Wi-Fi radar enables a wider range of contextual interactions from Alexa. And while I think the ability to create routines and automations strictly using your voice is a major upgrade for the average user, I wasn't able to test that functionality out myself at the event.The other potential omission is that while Amazon's two largest smart displays got much needed refreshes today, the same can't be said for the. So while that model continues to be on sale, I wouldn't be surprised if it got discontinued when supply runs out or re-imagined as something closer to a smart alarm clock sometime in the future, as it's smaller screen makes it's role as a smart home hub a bit more limited. The new Echo Show and Echo Show 11 are available for pre-order today and will come with early access to Alexa+ before official sales begin on November 12.
Smart Displays Smart Display Display Show Echo Dot Max Sam Rutherford
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