Amazon upgrades Echo Show 8 with new features

Amazon has introduced an Echo Device designed for even more personalised, proactive and intuitive Alexa experiences at home with the next-generation Echo Show 8.

Echo Show 8—New design, spatial audio and built-in smart home hub

The Echo Show 8 has been upgraded inside and out. A new industrial design, includes with edge-to-edge glass and soft curvatures, while an improved processor delivers faster display responses than the previous generation.

An enhanced audio experience provides improved clarity and bass, with room adaptation technology and spatial audio processing for optimal room-filling sound.

Meanwhile, video calls are even better with a centered 13-megapixel camera, plus an enhanced audio pipeline which minimizes background noise from around the home.

Additionally, a built-in smart home hub includes support for Zigbee, Sidewalk, Thread, Bluetooth, and Matter, enabling easy control of compatible lights, locks and sensors.

All-new home screen experience with adaptive content

Echo Show 8 features adaptive content – a new home screen experience that uses on-device computer vision technology to adjust on-screen content based on a customer’s proximity to the device.

With this experience, a customer positioned across the room will see content that is easily viewed from a distance—such as a simplified news headline or a large clock display – with the screen automatically transitioning to a more detailed view as they approach the device.

If the customer is enrolled in visual ID, the content will also be personalised to them, highlighting things like a recent playlist. Adaptive content will be available on Echo Show 8 (2nd and 3rd generation) next month and roll out to other Echo Show devices next year.

Built with privacy in mind

Echo devices are designed with customer privacy in mind and include multiple layers of privacy controls.

Echo devices include built-in camera shutters and a microphone on/off button. Customers have full control over their voice recordings and can view, hear, or delete them at any time.

Wow! That was a lot of newness from our devices and services teams. And guess what? That’s not even half of it! ? ? Visit our live blog on https://t.co/gnCeS2wChV for every. single. update. Thanks for hanging with us! pic.twitter.com/O16p7nYRjd

— Amazon (@amazon) September 20, 2023

Dr Raf Fatani, regional general manager, Alexa, Amazon MENA, said: “We are thrilled to bring the latest Echo Show 8 to our customers in the region, a true upgrade on previous generations. The improved processor and enhanced audio with more powerful cameras will make for better and clearer video interactions.

The adaptive content feature adjusts on-screen content based on proximity to the device – a real gamechanger that makes it even more easy to seamlessly integrate the new Echo Show 8 into our customers’ daily lifestyle.”

Also read: Amazon introduces all-new Echo Pop in UAE