Amazon gives its Echo Show 8 and 5 smart displays a springtime spruce-up

So you’re interested in one of Amazon’s Alexa-enthused smart displays but are slightly put off by the Echo Show 10’s ever-so-slightly unnerving swivelling? Well, you might be interested to learn that Amazon has just updated two of its very much stationary Echo Shows, the big-screen 8 and the diddy bedside table-suited 5. The £120 Echo Show 8’s (pictured) camera gets a major resolution boost up to 13MP, and it’s able to pan and zoom to keep you centred on video calls, without the device itself moving. A built-in camera cover means you can hide the all-seeing eye when not needed, and there’s a new octa-core processor in there, too. The Echo Show 5 also has a better camera (double the megapixels) than its same-size predecessor and now comes in three colours: Charcoal, Glacier White and a new Deep Sea Blue. At £75, it’s a bit cheaper too. Pre-orders are now live now, with the new products expected to start shipping next month.

Matt Tate Contributor

About

I'm fascinated by all things tech, but if you were going to leave me on a desert island, I'd probably ask for my Nintendo Switch, a drone, and a pair of noise-cancelling cans to block out the relentless seagull racket. When I'm not on Stuff duty you'll probably find me subscribing to too many podcasts, playing too many video games, or telling anyone who will listen that Spurs are going to win a trophy this season.

Areas of expertise

Video games, VR, smartwatches, headphones, smart speakers, bizarre Kickstarter campaigns