Amazon brings the Echo Show 10’s best feature to the Echo Show 8 Amazon Echo Show 8 (2021)
The best smart displays have proved useful over the past year when it comes to keeping in touch with friends and family during the pandemic, and in a bid to make video calls feel more natural – Amazon is bringing the Echo Show 10’s best camera feature to its smaller, Echo Show 8 – the panning and zooming camera.
The new Echo Show 8, which is priced at $129.99 / £119.99 (around AU$220) – the same price as the previous iteration – features a 13-megapixel camera. In itself, it is a hefty upgrade over the previous version, which has a 1MP camera, but now it also has an automatic pan and zoom function, meaning when you move during a video call it follows you around to ensure you’re always in the center of the shot. Amazon has also retained the built-in camera cover from the current Echo Show 8 for those with privacy concerns over the camera following their every move.
The smart display, which still has an 8-inch color HD screen and dual stereo speakers, lets you use it to watch streaming services like Netflix and Prime Video, and also features an improved octa-core processor, which should offer a smoother experience when using Alexa or swiping through screens. The Amazon Echo Show 8 is available to pre-order now and Amazon says it is expected to ship in June 2021.
At the same time, Amazon has also unveiled launched a new version of the Echo Show 5 – its smallest smart display – with a HD camera with double the pixels, and just like the Echo Show 10, the camera can double as a home security camera, so you keep an eye on your home when you’re not there. The Amazon Echo Show 5 is priced at $84.99 / £74.99 (around AU$135), and is also available to pre-order today, with shipping also in June 2021.
Opinion: Smooth and gentle, the way all video calls should be
Cameras that pan zoom to keep you in shot during video calls are becoming more and more popular – the Facebook Portal, new Apple iPad Pro 2021, and some Motorola smartphones that offer support the Ready For multitasking mode that allows you to connect the phone to a monitor and access a range of functions, all offer a similar feature.
I’ve previously used the feature on the Echo Show 10 and even though I was skeptical at first as I expected the movement to be juddery, I was actually pleasantly surprised. The motion was extremely smooth and gentle. On top of that, the camera didn’t re-position when we made small actions such as tilting the head or stretching an arm, so the recipient didn’t feel they were in the middle of an action movie.
I’ve been vocal in the past about how this was the Echo Show 10 feature I never knew I needed, and I’m pleased it’s being rolled out to more and more devices. While there may be light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to the global pandemic, video calls are here to stay, and anything that makes them less awkward is a win in my book.
The best smart displays have proved useful over the past year when it comes to keeping in touch with friends and family during the pandemic, and in a bid to make video calls feel more natural – Amazon is bringing the Echo Show 10’s best camera feature to its smaller,…
