Amazon delivered incredible discounts on its own-brand products during Black Friday and it pushed everything to record low pricing with minimal margins to move maximum units of Alexa-enabled devices. The good news is that the Echo Show 5 still sits at $59 instead of its usual $89 as Amazon extended the deal into early December, which makes this smart display almost absurdly affordable. The device already faced limited competition in the compact smart display category, and at this price point it essentially has none left.
Why Alexa is Useful with a Screen
Voice assistants are great for simple tasks like setting timers or playing music, but a lot of tasks would be much easier if Alexa could see what she heard and show relevant information: You can see hourly weather forecasts, your calendar appointments at a glance, recipe steps while cooking with messy hands, and security camera feeds without having to unlock your phone. This visual part fixes the problem of asking Alexa questions and getting answers that you forget right away or don’t hear correctly and this screen adds text and images to audio answers.
The small 5.5-inch size fits well on nightstands, kitchen counters, or desk corners without taking up too much space like bigger 8-inch or 10-inch displays do. This makes it useful as a second smart display in bedrooms or other small rooms where you want to be able to use Alexa without taking up a lot of space. The display also works as an alarm clock and you can change the faces, set alarms that gradually get brighter, and use soft sounds to wake you up more naturally than loud beeps.
This Echo Show 5 has an improved audio system that gives you twice the bass and clearer vocals than older models and makes streaming music and watching videos more fun instead of just useful. Amazon designed the speakers to sound fuller even though they are small. They used digital signal processing to boost bass frequencies that small drivers usually have trouble reproducing and the sound quality isn’t good enough to replace real speakers for serious listening sessions, but it’s good enough for playing music, podcasts, and TV show dialogue in the bedroom or kitchen.
Visual feedback that shows which lights are on, what temperature your thermostat is set to, and the status of connected devices makes smart home control much easier to understand. You can tap on device icons on the screen to turn lights on and off or change settings without having to say them out loud. The Echo Show 5 is the main hub for all of your compatible security cameras, video doorbells, and smart displays in your home. It lets you keep an eye on everything from one device on your bedside table or kitchen counter.
You can video call other Echo Show devices or anyone who has the Alexa app on their phone using the built-in 2MP camera: This makes it easy to stay in touch with family without having to switch between different video chat apps. Drop In lets trusted contacts automatically connect to your Echo Show for quick check-ins and this is great for elderly parents who may have trouble answering regular video calls. You can also use the camera to keep an eye on your home while you’re away: For example, you can check on your pets or make sure you turned off the stove using the Alexa app.
When the Echo Show 5 is not being used, the photo display mode turns it into a digital frame that shows your favorite photos from Amazon Photos or imported albums. With unlimited photo storage for Prime members, this feature is really useful for showing off memories without having to worry about running out of space on your device. Family members can send photos directly to your Echo Show, which will make a shared family album that updates automatically on all of your connected devices.
With this $30 discount, a smart display with better sound is now available for the same price as basic Echo speakers that don’t have screens at all. For less than the cost of a simple Echo Dot and a separate clock display, you get smart home control, video calling, viewing security cameras, and streaming entertainment.
