Video calls, music, and the odd photo or two are what Amazon’s improved 5 inch Echo Show is all about.
It has been some time since we saw a change in the smart display side of life, and the area has certainly felt like it has dropped off in recent days.
Google’s Nest Hub models have largely felt a little long in the tooth what with little in the way of updates, and there’s also a Pixel tablet that does double duty as one. Meanwhile, Amazon’s smart speakers with a screen haven’t seen a heap of updates, either. The last one we reviewed as a 10 inch that could follow you around, and that was over three years ago.
While a screen that follows you may not be what everyone is after, compact and inexpensive models might be easier to relate to. The cost of living can put a crunch on the expensive stuff, after all.
With that in mind, Amazon has been fine tuning its smart displays, focusing on the smaller models in the range.
In July, it will be launching an updated take on its aptly named Echo Show 5, a relatively compact speaker with a five inch screen, which has been re-engineered to sound better and handle the modern smart home, whether you have one now or are thinking of upgrading to one.
The newly updated Echo Show 5 is the third-gen model, and comes with a new chip, the AZ2 Neural Edge, a process that can understand your face which may well prove handy given there’s also a small camera at the top, as well. Like other camera-equipped smart displays, it means the Echo Show 5 can be used for video calls, and there’s a manual switch for turning the camera off with a shutter, while you can also turn off the in-built mic if you don’t want the speaker to listen to you.
Smart home support is found here, too, with the Matter technology offered in the Echo Show 5, allowing you to link up supported home services and technologies.
And there’s also the sound technology itself, which sees improvements inside a casing made from recycled aluminium and polyester.
In Australia, the Echo Show 5 looks set for release on July 10, priced at $169 in black, white, and blue.
