Amazon's Alexa Echo Show 5 Gets A Perfect Update

Thanks to the aggressive strategies of Amazon for its Alexa Echo, the affordable smart speaker is now available in many sizes, shapes, and colors, considering that it becomes one among the most popular models used all around the world. But Amazon’s not singularly contented with the American market. The giant has been pushing Echo speakers to India for the past few years with great success.

The new Echo Show - true to its name - also has a screen so that when users ask Alexa, she can not only tell but also ‘show’.

Miniaturized In Size, But Definitely Not Capability

One thing about the new generation of Echo Show is that it is considerably smaller than the original while boasting a 5.5-inch screen instead of the old one’s 10.1-inch screen. The Echo Spot, the smallest Echo speaker with a screen, only has a 2.5-inch screen. It seems like Amazon has hit a spot in term of size for the Echo Show 5. It is pretty much a perfect fit for the small table in the living room, or the bedside table while doesn’t take up a lot of space like the original. And if we were to compare it to the Echo Dot, the traditional rectangular screen is far more respectable in comparison to the unorthodox ‘dot’, round shape.

In fact, the Echo Show 5 is a miniaturized version of the Echo Show. It has a mute button, volume buttons, and a slider that you can switch in order to physically block off the camera’s view. For this privacy feature, it is going to be a great incentive for a great many consumers.

The Echo Show 5 is slightly tapered to the back of the device to provide space for the speakers inside, but it’s also to act as the ‘foot’ of the device, giving it a very stabilized feel. Lastly, you can see at the back the slot where you can plug in the power cable. Unfortunately, the Echo Show does not work on battery, you’ll have to constantly keep it plugged in. But it’s not that big of a problem, I have never moved my Echo out of its spot in the house to need a battery anyway.

Alexa

Alexa is still herself on the Echo Show 5: All of the voice commands and skills that you are used to on the older generation will work on the new device. You can now also go ahead and ask Alexa to play a TV show on Amazon Prime Video (That is if you even have Amazon Prime). Although I can’t imagine it’d be simple to use, you can also ask her to play for you a YouTube video.

The screen is a little bit too small for you to enjoy an entire TV show or feature-length movie on it. But if you want to watch a quick YouTube video, a new movie trailer, a short cat vide, or simply you want to read through a new recipe: It’s perfect. Here’s where the lack of battery can be an inconvenience for those who want to carry the Echo Show 5 around when they’re watching something.

Impressive Audio Fidelity

The audio quality is quite impressive for its size and casing. Smart speakers have not really been known for having an elaborated sound, trading some the space that could be used to enhance the speakers with electronics for its smart virtual assistant. Still, Amazon has really done something good with the Echo Show 5: The sound is deep and sharp.

Other Features

It can work well as a clock, providing you with regular updates of your social media, the news as well as the weather. It can also act as a sort of virtual picture frame, able to download your photos from Facebook and other social media platforms.

If you own several Alexa-powered devices, you can also video call from one device to another. This is an especially useful feature for the elderly, allowing them to forego all of the interactions that they might not be able to catch up with and just call you using voice commands. It can also act as a security camera to monitor rooms.

The Echo Spot 5 is a worthy upgrade and a lovely addition to your household if you have never had the chance to pick it up. Well, now is a good time: It can definitely provide you with all of the smart needs and more.