The newest Echo Show 8 can make a useful shared-home gift: it brings Alexa, video calls, photos and smart-home controls together on an 8.7-inch screen. Set it on a kitchen counter or living-room table, and it can become a place to check in, follow routines and display family photos.
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For holiday gifting, the appeal is how much it brings into one spot. The trade-offs matter too: there’s no physical camera cover, and you won’t find a headphone jack or external-speaker output.
Our top pick at a glance
Echo Show 8
- ✔ Size: 8.2 × 5 × 5.9 inches
- ✔ Weight: 37 oz (1,049 g)
- ✔ Bluetooth: Version 5.4
A larger screen for the rooms people share
The 8.7-inch HD touchscreen has 15% more viewing area than the previous model, with an 800 × 1340 resolution. That extra room can make calls, photo slideshows and on-screen smart-home controls easier to see across a kitchen or living room.
At 8.2 × 5 × 5.9 inches and 37 ounces, it needs a stable surface and a bit of counter or table space. Consider where the household naturally gathers before wrapping it: a screen tucked away on a rarely used shelf is less likely to become part of daily routines.
Better suited to calls and listening than private audio
A 13 MP camera with auto-framing and 3.3× zoom is designed to keep video calls in view. That can suit family check-ins during the holidays, especially when people move around while talking. The camera has no physical cover, so households that want a visible hardware barrier should factor that in.
For music and other audio, the Show 8 combines one 2.8-inch woofer with two full-range drivers and spatial audio. It can serve as a room speaker, but there’s no headphone jack or external-speaker output. If someone prefers private listening or wants to connect a separate speaker, this isn’t the most flexible fit.
A practical starting point for a smart home
Built-in support for Zigbee, Matter, Thread, Border Router and Amazon Sidewalk makes the Show 8 a capable control point for compatible smart-home devices. It can help bring connected routines and controls into a shared room without requiring a separate hub for those supported standards.
It also includes ambient temperature, ambient light and presence detection, plus visual ID through Omnisense. Alexa+ adds personalized recommendations, visual ID routines and photo slideshow display. These features may be most useful in a household that wants a screen-led hub for everyday routines; they’re less compelling if the recipient mainly wants a simple speaker.
Holiday verdict: a good shared-room gift with clear caveats
The Echo Show 8 is a strong holiday candidate for a household that will use video calls, visual Alexa features and smart-home controls in one central room. Its larger screen, camera and built-in hub give it several roles beyond playing audio.
Before gifting, check that the recipient is comfortable with a device that has a camera without a physical cover, and that they don’t need headphone or external-speaker connections. If those limitations fit the household, it’s a practical gift for a busy kitchen or living area.
More Details on Our Top Picks
Echo Show 8
The newest Echo Show 8 pairs an 8.7-inch HD touchscreen with spatial audio, a 13 MP auto-framing camera and a broad built-in smart-home hub. It suits households that want calls, routines and connected-device controls in a central room, with privacy and audio-output trade-offs to consider.
Pros:
- Larger 8.7-inch HD touchscreen
- Spatial audio with a woofer and two full-range drivers
- Built-in Zigbee, Matter, Thread and Sidewalk support
- 13 MP camera with auto-framing and 3.3× zoom
Cons:
- No physical camera cover
- No headphone jack or external-speaker output
- Needs a stable surface with room for its footprint
Best for: Households that want a shared-room screen for video calls, Alexa features, photos and compatible smart-home controls.
Not ideal for: People who want a physical camera shutter, private headphone listening or a connection for an external speaker.
Bottom line: Give it to a household that will use a shared screen and smart-home hub, and that is comfortable with its camera and audio-output limitations.
Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability are accurate as of the time of publishing.
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