Recently, Amazon sent us the Echo Spot and Echo Show 8 to test out. Initially, my plan was to review them individually, but the more I thought about it, the more I realised it could be beneficial to review them together. These two Alexa-powered Echo devices complement each other in the connected home, so let’s kick off a double review of the Spot and Show 8!
Design, Build Quality and Setup
Amazon continues to impress with solid, well-weighted designs that use high-quality fabrics and plastics. Both the Echo Spot and Echo Show 8 come in Charcoal or White, allowing you to maintain a consistent theme of Echo devices throughout your home. Interestingly, the Spot is also available in blue.
While both devices offer Alexa functionality at their core, they serve very different purposes. The Spot, with its compact size and simple design, feels more at home on a bedside table. It features three basic buttons on top for volume control and muting the microphone, a 2.8-inch display, and a front-facing speaker. There’s no camera on the Spot—a decision I personally appreciate for privacy. Setting it up is straightforward: scan a QR code on the screen, and the Alexa app does the rest.
The Show 8, on the other hand, is designed for larger spaces like the kitchen or family room. It boasts a high-definition 8-inch touchscreen, a 13-megapixel front-facing camera with a privacy cover, and a rear-facing mesh speaker housing with two drivers and a passive bass radiator. At just over a kilo, it’s heavier than the Spot’s 400 grams, but it’s built to deliver more functionality.
The great thing about Alexa devices like the Spot and Show 8, is that they are quite simple to set up, with a lot of the configuration being automated, including WiFi. With the Weather configuration for example, it will ask you if you’d like to use your delivery address, which is usually the same are you live. No need for typing in addresses. The Show 8 has facial recognition and when used in collaboration with multiple profile support, will tailor the user’s experience based on who is walking up to it.
Display
The display on the Echo Spot is compact but effective. Its 240×320-pixel resolution delivers crisp images, ideal for animated clock faces, weather updates, incoming calls, and media information. This minimalistic approach works well for its intended purpose, as cramming more functionality into such a small screen would detract from its usability. You have the option to personalise your clock display from several different colour and style combinations,
The Show 8 takes things further with its larger, 8-inch high-definition screen at 1200×800 pixels. The touchscreen supports a range of activities, from displaying multiple tiles of information like weather and news to streaming videos on platforms like YouTube. This versatility makes it a standout choice for communal spaces, especially if you want to minimise phone use while staying connected.
Sound Quality
The Echo Spot’s sound quality is passable, but it won’t win any awards. Its 1.7-inch driver delivers distortion-free audio, but I found the sound treble-forward. Tweaking the bass, treble, and mid-range settings via the Alexa app improved the overall presentation, adding some punchiness to the bass.
The Show 8, with its larger size, has far more room for audio hardware. It features two individual 2-inch drivers and a passive bass radiator, resulting in warm, room-filling sound. Tracks like “Somethinggreater” by Parcels sounded rich and full, more than capable of filling a kitchen-living area. A bonus is the ability to pair multiple Echo devices through the Alexa app, creating a multi-room audio experience.
Performance and Applications
The Echo Spot doesn’t need high-performance hardware for its core functions of displaying time, weather, and media. Its MT8519 processor and 1GB of RAM handle these tasks smoothly, with responsive touch controls and fluid animations.
The Show 8 is essentially a larger, more powerful version of the Echo Show 5, featuring a Snapdragon Octa-core processor. Amazon claims this allows it to process smart home requests 40% faster than the previous generation. Its 13-megapixel camera, with auto-framing, is a significant upgrade over the Show 5’s 2-megapixel camera, making it more versatile for video calls and other applications.
Smart Home Functionality
Both devices excel in smart home integration, powered by Alexa. They support a wide range of devices, including my Electrolux fridge, Airtouch air conditioning, Rainbird irrigation system, Philips lights, and LG TV and dishwasher. Alexa’s “skills” allow for easy control, whether individually or in groups.
For instance, I can adjust my air conditioning’s temperature and vent settings without using my phone or the AC panel. The Dahua CCTV cameras also connect, though this requires extra setup with the codec on the IVR and another app. A lot of the heavy lifting can be done from your Smartphone, using the Alexa App, which interfaces (and mirrors) directly with the Echo family of devices.
Final Thoughts
Both the Echo Spot and Echo Show 8 are strong additions to Amazon’s lineup of smart devices, but they cater to different needs. The Spot is ideal for compact spaces, like a bedside table, offering simplicity and essential Alexa features. The Show 8, with its larger screen, better sound quality, and advanced performance, is better suited for communal areas where you may want more functionality, like video streaming, shopping lists, or cooking recipes.
Personally, I’d buy both to expand and upgrade my smart home functionality, increasing Alexa’s coverage in my home. With both the Echo Spot and Show 8 currently on sale for $99 and $179 respectively, it’s never been a better time to improve the functionality of your smart home.
Whether you’re looking for a minimalistic companion or a versatile smart hub, Amazon has you covered. The Echo Spot (2024) has a RRP of $149 but at time of publishing is on a Black Friday deal for $99. The Echo Show 8 has a RRP of $249, and also on a Black Friday deal for $179.
DRN wishes to thank Amazon for sending us the Echo Spot and Show 8 to review!
