TLDR Review: Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen)
Verdict
The Amazon Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen, 2023) is a compact, stylish smart display that shines in sound quality and smart home control, making it a solid option for bedside or kitchen use. However, the small screen size, camera issues, and persistent annoyances like auto-dimming and Bluetooth announcements hold it back from being truly seamless or versatile. If you want stronger video call quality, a larger screen, or a more polished smart assistant experience, you might want to consider stepping up to the Amazon Echo Show 8 or exploring other smart displays with bigger, brighter screens and more reliable performance.
- Top pro:
- The upgraded sound system delivers 2x the bass and clearer, richer audio quality for its compact size, making music enjoyable.
- Top con:
- Screen size is too small for comfortable video viewing or multimedia use, with many users wanting a larger display.
Pros
- •The upgraded sound system delivers 2x the bass and clearer, richer audio quality for its compact size, making music enjoyable.
- •Great for following recipes hands-free in the kitchen with easy voice control.
- •Easy setup for most users, allowing quick access to music, weather, and smart home controls.
- •Alexa’s voice commands are generally responsive and accurate, even from across the room.
- •Compact and sleek 5.5-inch touchscreen fits well on bedside tables or small countertops without taking up much space.
- •Excellent smart home integration, controlling lights, security cameras, and other IoT devices easily.
- •The 2MP camera includes a privacy shutter for security.
- •The display is bright and sharp enough for videos, calendar viewing, and digital photo frames.
Cons
- •Screen size is too small for comfortable video viewing or multimedia use, with many users wanting a larger display.
- •Setup can be tricky, sometimes requiring repeated attempts and dealing with unintuitive app configurations.
- •Camera performance is mediocre, often producing grainy, soft video and sometimes not working reliably.
- •Auto-dimming is poorly calibrated and either dims too much or behaves inconsistently, making the display hard to read in various lighting conditions.
- •Voice control suffers from occasional misinterpretation, decreased responsiveness, and problems with multi-step commands.
- •Display brightness is often too dim, especially in daylight, reducing overall usability.
- •Bluetooth connection announcements are loud and annoying, with no way to disable them.
- •Frequent glitches, freezes, and the need for restarts diminish the smoothness of the user experience.
- •Heavy dependency on paid subscriptions for full features like music services and smart home functions can be frustrating.
- •Ads and unwanted content clutter the interface, interrupting basic tasks like clock viewing and adding to user frustration.
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How we researched this
About this review: it summarizes the professional reviews and customer ratings ShopSavvy collected for this product, alongside prices from ShopSavvy's price data.
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