Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Generation) review

At first glance, it's hard to argue that this new Echo Show 5 doesn't deliver. It features everything from an accurate voice assistant in Alexa to doubling up as a digital photo frame when not in active use.

Looking at the smart display's set-up, design, and sound quality, along with features such as voice control and camera quality, we put the Amazon device to the test in our Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) review.

And, here is why we think the new Amazon Echo Show 5 is the best choice if you're buying a smart display for the first time.

For more on Amazon devices, try our Amazon Fire TV Stick review and Amazon Fire TV Cube review. Or, head straight to our best smart speaker guide.

Jump to:

• Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) review: summary
• What is Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen)?
• How much is Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen)?
• Design
• Sound quality
• Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) set-up
• Difference between Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) and Amazon Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen)
• Our verdict
• Where to buy

Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) review: summary

The Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) is one of the brand's newest smart displays. It also happens to be the smallest and most affordable. And while it only has a 5.5-inch touchscreen display, it still has all the features you'd expect from an Amazon device, including voice control via Alexa, a 2MP camera for video calls, and can be connected to other Alexa speakers to make a multi-room system.

If you're primarily looking for an Amazon device to play music off, you may be better with the Amazon Echo Dot. But if you want to dip your toes in the world of smart displays, there's no better option than the new Amazon Echo Show 5.

Price: The Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) costs £74.99 and is available from retailers including Amazon, Currys and Very.

Key features:

• Built-in voice assistant Alexa
• 2MP camera for video calls and indoor security camera
• Works with various 'Alexa Skills' including Spotify, Uber, Just Eat and Fitbit
• Doubles-up as a digital photo frame
• Built-in camera cover

Pros:

• Compact design
• Good value for money
• Brilliant voice assistant with Alexa
• User-friendly Alexa app

Cons:

• Average camera quality
• Music occasionally sounds a little tinny

What is Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen)?

Released on 9th June, the Amazon Echo Show 5 is the second generation model of the brand's smallest smart display. It was released alongside the Amazon Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen) and joined the Amazon Echo Show 10, which was released earlier this year. Unlike a smart speaker, a smart display has a touchscreen that allows you to make video calls, watch TV shows and doubles up as a digital photo frame.

What does Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) do?

The compact size of the Amazon Echo Show 5 makes it ideal for living on your bedside table, where you can make the most of Alexa to set alarms, reminders and manage routines. It contains all the features you'd expect from an Amazon Echo Dot with the addition of a 5.5-inch touchscreen display.

• Built-in voice assistant Alexa
• 2MP camera for video calls and indoor security camera
• Works with various 'Alexa Skills' including Spotify, Uber, Just Eat and Fitbit
• Doubles-up as a digital photo frame
• Built-in camera cover

How much is Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen)?

The Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) costs £74.99 and is available from retailers including Amazon, Currys and Very.

Is Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) good value for money?

The Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) is one of the most affordable smart displays on offer. Google's cheapest smart display, the Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen), costs £15 more at £89.99. The size of the touchscreen has a significant part to play in the price. The Echo Show 5 is one of the smallest smart displays you can buy with a 5.5-inch screen. In comparison, the Google Nest Hub is a bit bigger at 7-inches. However, beyond this, the Echo Show 5 has many of the same features as the more expensive Amazon devices, including Alexa, a camera for video calls, all the various Alexa skills, and it doubles up as a digital photo frame. There's no doubt that the Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) is great value for money.

Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) design

With a 5.5-inch touchscreen, the Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) is Amazon's smallest smart display. The majority of the device has a fabric grill finish, although the top of the screen is lined with buttons to mute the microphone, turn up or down the volume and cover the camera when needed.

The compact size makes it perfect for being placed on a bedside table, which should allow you to make the most of the alarms, customisable routines, and reminders that can be controlled via Alexa. However, it is small enough to fit on pretty much any surface without becoming an annoyance.

The screen resolution is only 960 x 480, but because of the size, it still looks bright and sharp. The same can be said for the 2MP camera. This isn't the best quality camera, and it can only be used in well-lit conditions, but it is a good improvement on the 1MP camera found in the 1st generation model. For those who would prefer an extra level of privacy, the built-in camera cover is there to be slid across the lens when not in use.

• Style: Available in three colours (charcoal, white and blue), the design is simple and similar to that of the 1st generation device.
• Robustness: The smart display is solid and feels well-made. It is weighted and balanced well so that there's no chance of knocking it or it falling over.
• Size: The Echo Show has a 5.5-inch display and measures 148mm wide x 86mm tall x 73 mm deep. It can easily perch on a bedside table or kitchen counter.

Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) sound quality

As you would expect with an Alexa device, most of the features are geared towards supporting speech more than music. This means that, on occasion and at high volume, music can sound a little tinny. However, we wouldn't go as far to say the sound quality is bad, and the volume range is brilliant for such a small device.

The sound isn't particularly directional either, so you get the same volume and quality of sound from pretty much anywhere in the room. If you want to be able to listen to the occasional playlist while making dinner, the Amazon Echo Show 5 will do a more than good enough job for that.

Where the Echo Show 5 really excels, though, is with the audio quality of speech and the voice recognition technology. The quality of podcasts is great, and Alexa remains one of the best AI voice assistants on the market. The voice assistant has no trouble hearing commands over loud music and is quick to respond. Alexa is pretty accurate, too.

When asking for the Echo Show 5 to play albums off Spotify, we could generally get away with asking for the album title followed by the phrase 'on Spotify' without having to list the artist as well. It may seem fairly minor, but it does make the commands a lot less of a mouthful. When you'd rather speak to Alexa, the microphone can be muted.

Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) set-up: how easy is it to use?

From taking the device out of the box to being ready to go, the whole set-up process takes about 10 minutes. Once plugged in, you are prompted through the process via the Echo Show 5's screen. This includes logging into your Amazon account, choosing language preferences and connecting to the Wi-Fi. Then, you're ready to go.

To get the most out of the Amazon Echo Show 5, downloading the Amazon Alexa app is recommended. With the app, you can link various Alexa skills to your account, including Fitbit, Spotify, BBC Good Food and Uber, set up routines or manage your preferences for camera and privacy settings.

If you want to use the Amazon Echo Show 5 as part of a multi-room system, you can also use the app to make announcements through other smart speakers or displays in the house. Amazon suggests you can use this to tell the whole house dinner is ready without shouting, but you can get as inventive as you like.

The smart displays do need to be plugged in to work, so that does limit you a little as to where you can place them, but this is fairly standard with all smart home devices.

What is the difference between the new Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) and Amazon Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen)?

The Amazon Echo Show 5 was not the only smart display to be released in June, as the Amazon Echo Show 8 also got an upgrade. The two 2nd generation models have plenty of similarities, but there are a few key differences to be aware of.

The two most obvious differences are the size and price. The Amazon Echo Show 5 is the cheaper and smaller of the two, while the Echo Show 8 boasts an 8-inch display and a price tag of £119.99. This means that the Echo Show 8 is almost double the size, providing more room for a bigger speaker system, too.

The camera of the Echo Show 8 is also of a higher specification at 13MP, rather than the 2MP of the Echo Show 5. This should improve the picture quality of your video calls, along with the auto-framing feature available with the Echo Show 8 that will keep you centred in the video.

However, beyond these differences, the smart displays are extremely similar as they both use Alexa, have the same Alexa skills and can both be used as digital photo frames. Choosing between these two Amazon devices will largely depend on what you want to spend and space limitations.

Our verdict: should you buy Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen)?

If you're looking for your first smart display, or you're not looking to spend too much, the Amazon Echo Show 5 is a brilliant choice. At £74.99, it is one of the cheapest ways to get all the key smart display features, including video calls, voice control with Alexa, and it even doubles up as a clock and photo frame when not in active use. Its small size makes it perfect for a spot on the bedside table or on a kitchen shelf, and it can be used as an indoor security camera when you're out and about.

If you primarily want to use it to play music, you might be better off with an Amazon Echo Dot, but the Echo Show 5 still has an impressive volume range for its size. Plus, the sound quality is more than good enough for casual everyday use when you just want to listen to the radio or Spotify. If you're new to smart displays or just want a small device to add to your collection, the Amazon Echo Show 5 delivers.

Rating:

Design: 4/5

Sound quality: 3.5/5

Ease of set-up: 4/5

Value for money: 5/5

Overall rating: 4/5

Where to buy Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen)

The Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) is available from a number of retailers, including Amazon and Very.

• £74.99 at Amazon
• £74.99 at Very
• £74.99 at Currys

For more product reviews and guides, head to the Technology section. Looking for offers? Read our list of the best Amazon Echo deals.