Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd gen)
Not much of an upgrade, but the Echo Show 5 is still a good-value and compact smart screen
SCORE
PRICE £63 (£75 inc VAT) from pcpro.link/324echo
T his second-generation Echo Show 5 is the smallest smart screen in the Echo range, sitting below the £120 Echo Show 8 ( see issue 323, p70). I’ve had the older model on my desk for some time and use it for listening to the radio, viewing the camera feed from my video doorbell, and as an intercom to the rest of the house. Or you might use it as a smart alarm clock, to make video calls (either via Alexa’s own video call system or Skype, as Zoom isn’t yet supported in the UK), or to view pictures you’ve stored in Amazon Photos.
While it can display movies and TV shows, the 5.5in screen isn’t really big enough for this. Still, the Show 5’s display is bright, crisp and colourful and, although the resolution is nothing special at 960 x 480, it’s perfectly sharp at the distances you’ll be viewing it from. The touchscreen works well, too, although I find I don’t typically use it beyond setting up alarms and adjusting settings.
Inside, a 1.65in full-range driver pipes audio out from a grille on the bottom edge of the display. Sound quality is fine for radio shows, podcasts and calls, with more than enough clarity, and it’s a lot better than your average laptop speaker. However, you’ll find it lacking for music: there’s plenty of mid-range body, which helps with vocals and acoustic tracks, but bass frequencies sound limp.
The top edge holds buttons for mute, volume up and volume down, plus a privacy shutter that blocks the camera. This is one of the few aspects of the Show 5 that has been upgraded, with a 2MP resolution rather than the single-megapixel, 720p webcam of its predecessor. It delivers a mild boost to visual quality, but frequent callers should consider the Echo Show 8 with its 13MP camera that can pan and zoom to follow you around the room.
A quick glance at the rear reveals there’s no longer a 3.5mm output jack. It’s also available in a new colour (blue), and you won’t be surprised to discover that the price has gone up – a £5 increase. At this price, the obvious competition is Google’s 7in Nest Hub ( see issue
321, p64). This costs £90, comes with sleep tracking and offers slick integration with Google Photos, but lacks a camera.
As a smart alarm clock for the bedroom, or a compact radio for your home office, the Echo Show 5 works brilliantly. But if you aren’t going to use the camera, consider the Nest Hub instead.
SPECIFICATIONS
8-core 2GHz Mediatek MT8183 SoC 5.5in 960 x 480 touchscreen 1.65in speaker 2-microphone array 2MP camera Wi-Fi 5 Bluetooth (A2DP and AVRCP) 146 x 73 x 86mm (WDH) 410g 1yr limited warranty
“The Show 5’s display is bright, crisp and colourful and it’s perfectly sharp at the distances you’ll be viewing it from”