In addition to the all-new Echo Pop announced today, Amazon is refreshing its entry-level smart display offering with a new 3rd-gen Echo Show 5. The new model offers better performance than the 2nd-gen Echo Show 5 released in 2021 and includes better microphones and support for the Matter smart home standard.
While this Echo Show 5 update is more significant than the last one, it’s still a fairly minor update. The device still has the same 5.5-inch touchscreen with the same resolution of 960 x 480, although Amazon says it’s improved in some way for “more comfortable nighttime viewing.” It still uses a 1.7-inch speaker but Amazon says the new Echo Show 5 produces double the bass and clearer sound than the previous model. Physically, the new model is ever so slightly taller and deeper than the outgoing model but equally as wide. The front-facing camera is still 2 megapixels and can still be blocked with a physical privacy shutter.
The main upgrades of the new Echo Show 5 are hidden inside. It’s now powered by a MediaTek MT 8169 B which Amazon says makes the device 20% faster. I would have liked to see a variation of the MediaTek MT 8183 that is used in the Echo Show 8, which is twice as powerful as the outgoing Echo Show 5, but a small performance boost is better than nothing. The new model does also include Amazon’s AZ2 neural processor for quicker responses thanks to its ability to process some voice requests locally.
Speaking of voice requests, Amazon says the new Echo Show 5 has a reengineered microphone array that’s better at hearing commands. Let’s hope that’s true because the previous model is notoriously one of the worst Echo models at hearing voice commands. As you’d expect, the new Echo Show 5 also now supports the Matter smart home standard.
The 3rd-gen Echo Show 5 is available to pre-order for $89.99 and comes in black, white, and blue. There is also a 3rd-gen Echo Show 5 Kids model for $99.99 with a galaxy print that includes a 1-year Amazon Kids subscription. Both will be released on May 31st.
@AFTVnews
AFTVnews
Hmmm – still no 3.5mm audio jack (missing in 2nd gen too). Sure, you can use BT to connect to external speakers but I prefer a jack, like in the 1st generation.
Yeah, you have to go back to the 1st-gen Echo Show 5 if you want a 3.5mm audio out.
I actually bought a few gen1 from woot just for the jack. I want my echo show to be completely silent and just view messages and announcements on the screen, but it will always raise the volume for certain notifications. So solution is to stick something in the 3.5mm jack to silence it.