The Echo Present 8 is the most effective sensible show and speaker combo and it is solely $105

What is the deal?

The latest Echo Present 8 is on sale for $105 with a limited-time Amazon deal.

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The third-generation Echo Present 8 was launched on the market in late 2023 for $150.
• An improved speaker now boasts spatial audio, the sensible show encompasses a centered digicam for improved video calls, and the brand new Adaptive Content material trait. 
• Although it has many enhancements, the display screen stays at 1080p decision, and the customization choices are minimal.

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The all-new Echo Present 8 was not too long ago launched by Amazon, and I have been capable of check it for the previous few months. Coming from a first-generation Echo Present 8 makes the upgrades to the third-generation mannequin all of the extra noticeable.

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Apart from that includes a sleeker design with edge-to-edge glass, a center-set built-in digicam, and a smaller speaker enclosure, the 2023 Echo Present 8 options spatial audio, a quicker processor than earlier generations, and an upgraded sensible residence expertise.

View at Amazon

Amazon’s updates to its third-generation Echo Present are evident from the second you unbox the system. The standard plastic packaging is nowhere to be seen, because the system is wrapped largely in recyclable supplies. Amazon says 99% of the system’s packaging is fabricated from wood-fiber supplies from “responsibly managed forests or recycled sources.”

As soon as unboxed, the Echo Present 8 stands out from earlier generations for its totally different design, significantly the speaker on the again. Different Echo Present units had a tapered speaker again that doubled as a stand to carry the sensible show as much as make it self-standing. The most recent Echo Present 8’s speaker additionally props up the show, however it has a brand new design that’s, in my humble opinion, an attention-grabbing alternative. 

The spatial audio speaker on the bottom, let’s admit it, appears to be like a bit like a butt protruding of the sensible show, particularly when seen from an angle and only a sliver of it’s seen. This is not a unfavorable factor, it is simply the unlucky notion the system gave me.

The spatial audio speaker on the bottom, let’s admit it, appears to be like a bit like a butt protruding of the sensible show, particularly when seen from an angle and only a sliver of it’s seen. This is not a unfavorable factor, it is simply the unlucky notion the system gave me.Suboptimal bottom design decisions are simply one of many many new options packed into the newest era Echo Present. Amazon lastly positioned the system’s digicam in the course of the show as an alternative of on the proper, because it had accomplished with every Echo Present earlier than this one. 

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The upgraded 13MP digicam is supposed for video calls, making the middle placement all of the extra helpful to forestall folks from showing as in the event that they’re trying off to 1 aspect when on a video name.

The digicam placement from the proper to the middle may additionally higher help Visible ID, making it potential for the Echo Present 8 to detect when an individual approaches the system. 

Visible ID personalization is obtainable within the Echo Present 10, Echo Present 15, and Echo Present 8 second era and newer. This characteristic makes it simpler for every particular person in a family to have a personalised expertise with the sensible show. 

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Every family member who needs to make use of Visible ID has to enroll individually on every system; as Amazon explains, this visible knowledge is saved regionally on the system. When an enrolled member approaches the Echo Present 8, the display screen will show customized content material, akin to sticky notes another person left for that particular person, calendars, and their favourite information.

However Visible ID differs from Adaptive Content material, an all-new characteristic Amazon is debuting with this third-generation system. Adaptive Content material will make it simpler for customers to view content material on the display screen from a distance by simplifying it when nobody is close to the system and switching to an in depth view when the particular person approaches the Echo Present.

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If the person can be enrolled in Visible ID, then the displayed content material will probably be customized to that person. Adaptive Content material can be coming to the second-generation Echo Present 8 and different Echo Present units as quickly as early 2024. 

The most recent Echo Present 8 can be a wise speaker with spatial audio. The system packs a pair of two-inch neodymium audio system for a vibrant directional really feel and a surprisingly wealthy sound expertise regardless of the dimensions of the speaker, particularly in comparison with the first-generation mannequin and the  2023 Echo Present 5. 

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

The latest Echo Present 8 makes a compelling case for a wise show for each Alexa followers and sensible residence lovers. Nonetheless, the $150 MSRP, larger than earlier generations, may very well be a deterrent (although frequent reductions simply remediate that).

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Nonetheless, This newest sensible show is notably quicker than earlier fashions within the display screen’s contact response and the way shortly Alexa responds to and processes requests. 

For sensible residence customers, the Echo Present 8 can course of frequent sensible residence requests regionally for 40% quicker responses once you ask Alexa to activate a wise mild or sensible plug. The brand new Echo Present 8 can be not only a sensible show with Alexa built-in, however a wise residence hub just like the Echo and higher-end Echo Present 10. 

With help for Zigbee, Thread, and Matter, the Echo Present 8 could be a central nexus to arrange and management suitable sensible residence units and a wise assistant.