The Amazon Echo Show 8 is a standout favorite among the many smart speakers and Alexa-enabled devices that Amazon has introduced. The Alexa capabilities of the Echo Show series’ smart displays make it a flexible addition to your smart home. The Echo Show 8, which is the second-smallest model in the lineup, has an impressive eight-inch touchscreen, making it both small and very portable.
What Can You Do with the Amazon Echo Show 8?
The Amazon Echo Show 8 is a multifunctional device with many applications, including:
- Live Streaming: You can use it to live stream videos from various sources.
- Music: Play your favorite music, whether it’s from your Amazon Music library or a music streaming service.
- Weather Updates: Get real-time weather updates, so you’re always prepared for the day.
- Smart Home Control: Connect to your home security cameras and other smart devices to monitor and control them.
- Video Calls: Make video calls to friends and family, thanks to the built-in camera and display.
(Third Generation) The New Echo Show 8
It is anticipated that the third-generation Echo Show 8 will go on sale in late October 2023 for $150. This represents a small price increase over the 2021 version, which was initially offered for $129.99.
Introducing the Echo Show 8 Photos Edition
For the Echo Show 8, Amazon is adding a new feature, but it will cost extra. The Echo Show 8 Photos Edition, unveiled at a recent hardware event, carries a $10 premium over the standard model, priced at $159.99.
What are you getting for this premium? It comes with a free six-month subscription to Amazon’s newest service, PhotosPlus, and lets you set your photos as the “primary home screen content.” This subscription makes the improved photo mode available. On the home screen of the Echo Show 8 Photos Edition, PhotosPlus introduces Photo Mode, which gives personal memories and pictures shared by your loved ones priority.
Enhanced Photo Mode
The Echo Show 8 Photos Edition offers a 30-second slideshow rotation for a more noticeable display throughout your house. Additionally, it comes with 25 GB of storage for pictures and videos from Amazon Photos, with Prime members getting an extra 5 GB for videos and unlimited photo storage. The Photos Edition is the only one that continues to support the new Photo Mode, which is not supported by the Echo Show 8’s standard model.
The absence of a dedicated photo frame feature compared to rivals like Google’s Nest Hub devices has been a common criticism of Echo Show devices. Unless you navigate menus to disable it, the photo frame mode that is currently activated on Echo Show displays only lasts three hours before switching back to a rotating display that frequently features advertisements and promotions.
Subscription Information
By revolutionizing the way photos are displayed on current Show screens, Photo Mode makes sure that they always take center stage. Your photos are highlighted in the user interface, and background details like the weather and time are pushed to the side. After the first six months, there is a $1.99 monthly fee to subscribe to this digital photo frame service. Although you can stop your subscription at any time, doing so will return your Echo Show 8 Photos Edition to its default settings.
While there are other choices for digital photo frames, Amazon’s strategy combines the practicality of a smart display with improved photo-centric features. A notable substitute that is free and $10 less expensive than the Echo Show 8 Photos Edition is Aura Frame. It does not, however, have the extra smart display features like streaming abilities, Alexa voice assistance, and smart home controls.
