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Amazon’s current Echo Show range is more capable, but it is not one uniformly “new” product. The 2025 Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 bring newer hardware and improved video calling, while the Echo Show 15 (2nd generation) and Echo Show 21 are large wall-oriented displays with Fire TV and broader smart-home hub features.
My verdict: the Echo Show 8 is the sensible default, the Echo Show 15 is the most useful household dashboard, and the Echo Show 21 only makes sense when maximum screen size is the point. Alexa+ makes the displays more useful, but advertising, privacy trade-offs, software inconsistency, and model-specific features keep these from being automatic upgrades.
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Which Echo Shows are actually new?
For this comparison, “new Echo Shows” means four current models:
- Echo Show 8, 2025 release
- Echo Show 11, 2025 release
- Echo Show 15, 2nd generation
- Echo Show 21
The Echo Show 5 and Echo Show 10 remain relevant alternatives, but they are not part of the newest mid-size and large-screen refresh. That distinction matters: Amazon’s buying guides group several generations together, even though features such as Fire TV, screen size, rotating hardware, and smart-home radios vary considerably by model.
#1 Best Overall
- Powerfully smart, beautifully built: The redesigned 8.7" smart display features a vibrant HD touchscreen with 15% more viewing area versus Echo Show 8 (2023 release), built-in smart home hub, AZ3 Pro chip for powerful performance, and Omnisense technology for highly personalized experiences.
- Content sounds incredible: Stream music or watch shows on Prime Video, Netflix, and more. All with room-filling spatial audio, crisper vocals, wider sound stage, and up to 2x bass versus Echo Show 8 (2023 release). With Alexa+, find the name of that song you love and discover new shows based on your preferences.
- Your everyday assistant: See recipes and calendars at a glance, easily find meal inspo and manage your shopping lists. With Alexa+, find recipes based on foods you love, make reservations, order groceries, and more.
- Simple Smart Home control: Pair and control thousands of devices that work with Alexa without needing a separate smart home hub. Easily view your camera feeds. Manage lights, thermostats, and more using the display or your voice. With Omnisense technology, you can activate routines via temperature, presence, or visual ID detection.
- Crystal-clear video calls: Video calls feel natural with a centered, auto-framing camera, 3.3x zoom, and noise reduction technology. Use live view to check in on your family, pets, and more while you're away.
Amazon’s Echo buying guide is useful for identifying the family, but not sufficient on its own for deciding which one to buy.
The five things I love
1. Alexa finally makes better use of the screen
The defining advantage of an Echo Show should be the combination of voice and touch. Alexa+ makes that combination more persuasive by supporting more conversational requests, visual planning, contextual follow-ups, personalized responses, and continuity between compatible Echo devices, the Alexa app, a browser, and Fire TV.
Instead of asking only for a timer or weather forecast, you can ask Alexa to plan a meal and then view the recipe or checklist, request information that benefits from images and lists, or compare products visually. Calendars, recipes, cameras, household lists, and recommendations are all easier to understand when they are visible rather than spoken once and forgotten.
That is the promise described on Amazon’s Alexa+ page. The important qualification is that Alexa+ is a changing service rather than a permanent hardware specification. Availability and individual features can depend on account, country, rollout status, subscription eligibility, and permissions. A compatible device does not guarantee that every Alexa+ capability is available to every user.
2. Video calling is more credible on the new mid-size models
Amazon says the 2025 Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 use a 13-megapixel camera with auto-framing, 3× zoom, and improved noise filtering. Those changes should make them more practical for family calls than smaller or older Echo Shows, especially in kitchens and living rooms where people move around.
Auto-framing is useful, but it is not the same as the mechanically rotating display found on the Echo Show 10. Buyers who value the Echo Show 10’s camera-following behavior should not assume the Echo Show 11 is a direct replacement.
Camera hardware also cannot solve every calling problem. The recipient needs a compatible calling service, and the result still depends on lighting, network quality, microphone placement, and the other caller’s device. Amazon’s camera and noise-filtering improvements are manufacturer claims, not independently measured performance figures.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsAmazon’s overview of the new mid-size models provides the relevant specifications: Echo Show 8 and 11 features.
Rank #2
- Powerfully smart, beautifully built: The redesigned 8.7" smart display features a vibrant HD touchscreen with 15% more viewing area versus Echo Show 8 (2023 release), built-in smart home hub, AZ3 Pro chip for powerful performance, and Omnisense technology for highly personalized experiences.
- Content sounds incredible: Stream music or watch shows on Prime Video, Netflix, and more. All with room-filling spatial audio, crisper vocals, wider sound stage, and up to 2x bass versus Echo Show 8 (2023 release). With Alexa+, find the name of that song you love and discover new shows based on your preferences.
- Your everyday assistant: See recipes and calendars at a glance, easily find meal inspo and manage your shopping lists. With Alexa+, find recipes based on foods you love, make reservations, order groceries, and more.
- Simple Smart Home control: Pair and control thousands of devices that work with Alexa without needing a separate smart home hub. Easily view your camera feeds. Manage lights, thermostats, and more using the display or your voice. With Omnisense technology, you can activate routines via temperature, presence, or visual ID detection.
- Crystal-clear video calls: Video calls feel natural with a centered, auto-framing camera, 3.3x zoom, and noise reduction technology. Use live view to check in on your family, pets, and more while you're away.
3. The large models work as genuine household dashboards
The Echo Show 15 and Echo Show 21 are not merely oversized smart speakers. Their larger displays can make calendars, to-do lists, recipes, cameras, photos, smart-home controls, and entertainment usable by more than one person at a time.
They are particularly attractive for:
- Families sharing calendars and shopping lists
- Kitchens displaying recipes and timers
- Households using Ring or other compatible cameras
- People who want a central smart-home control point
- Users already invested in Amazon’s Fire TV ecosystem
The trade-off is physical. These displays need suitable wall space or furniture, careful cable routing, and a viewing position that avoids glare. A large wall screen can become visually intrusive, and mounting hardware or installation help may be necessary.
Amazon describes the Echo Show 21 as its largest smart display. Its Echo Show 15 and 21 overview covers the screen sizes and household-dashboard positioning.
4. Smart-home connectivity is stronger across the newer range
The Echo Show 8, Echo Show 11, Echo Show 15, and Echo Show 21 appear in Amazon’s Matter support documentation. Amazon also lists the 2025 Echo Show 8 and 11, Echo Show 15, and Echo Show 21 as Thread Border Router devices. Zigbee hub support is listed for the Echo Show 8 (3rd generation, 2025 release), Echo Show 11, Echo Show 15 (2nd generation), and Echo Show 21.
These standards are not interchangeable:
- Matter is a smart-home device-control standard.
- Thread is a low-power networking protocol.
- Zigbee is a separate smart-home protocol.
Support for one does not mean universal support for every device or feature. Products may still require a manufacturer bridge, account, skill, cloud connection, or device-specific setup.
Check the exact generation before buying using Amazon’s current Matter, Thread, and Zigbee documentation.
5. The Echo Show 15 and 21 combine entertainment with household utility
Fire TV is central to the Echo Show 15 and Echo Show 21 proposition. They can provide access to supported streaming services including Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+, YouTube, Peacock, and Max, subject to regional and service availability.
This makes the large models useful in kitchens, bedrooms, offices, and common areas where a conventional television may be excessive. They can switch between a show, a calendar, a camera view, and a smart-home dashboard.
Rank #3
- Alexa can show you more - Echo Show 5 includes a 5.5” display so you can see news and weather at a glance, make video calls, view compatible cameras, stream music and shows, and more.
- Small size, bigger sound – Stream your favorite music, shows, podcasts, and more from providers like Amazon Music, Spotify, and Prime Video—now with deeper bass and clearer vocals. Includes a 5.5" display so you can view shows, song titles, and more at a glance.
- Keep your home comfortable – Control compatible smart devices like lights and thermostats, even while you're away.
- See more with the built-in camera – Check in on your family, pets, and more using the built-in camera. Drop in on your home when you're out or view the front door from your Echo Show 5 with compatible video doorbells.
- See your photos on display – When not in use, set the background to a rotating slideshow of your favorite photos. Invite family and friends to share photos to your Echo Show. Prime members also get unlimited cloud photo storage.
Do not generalize this feature to the entire Echo Show range. The smaller and mid-size models have different entertainment capabilities. Confirm the apps you use for the exact model and region before purchase.
The three things I don’t
1. The lineup is confusing and feature-split
The model names do not tell you enough. Fire TV is associated with the Echo Show 15 and 21, not every newer Echo Show. Smart-home radio support varies by generation. The Echo Show 11 offers a larger countertop screen than the 8, but that does not automatically mean a proportional capability increase.
| Model | Best for | Key strengths | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Echo Show 8, 2025 | General countertop use | Newer platform, improved camera, compact size, smart-home support | Smaller display; not the large-screen Fire TV experience |
| Echo Show 11, 2025 | Larger countertop display | Newer camera and platform, bigger screen | Value depends heavily on its price and exact app support; no rotating display |
| Echo Show 15, 2nd gen | Wall-mounted household dashboard | Large display, Fire TV, Wi-Fi 6E, smart-home hub functions | Large footprint and wall-mounting requirements |
| Echo Show 21 | Maximum visual space | Largest display, Fire TV, communal dashboard use | Most prominent and expensive option; software-dependent |
The Echo Show 10 is a particularly important comparison because its rotating-screen design is not replicated by the fixed-screen 11. The Echo Show 5 remains the compact option, but it is not a substitute for the dashboard or television functions of the large models.
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2. The software can feel like an advertising surface
Echo Shows are designed to display recommendations, shopping information, sponsored products, and other commercial content—not only the widgets you choose.
Amazon’s advertising documentation describes sponsored product recommendations in Alexa+ shopping conversations on Echo Show in the United States, as well as advertising inventory on Echo Show and Alexa home-screen surfaces. That does not mean every card is paid advertising, but shopping and sponsored recommendations are part of the platform’s business model.
For some households, that makes the display feel less like a neutral calendar and more like an Amazon storefront. During setup, review personalization, shopping, notifications, and home-screen options. Exact labels and settings paths can change with firmware and account region, so check the current menus on the device rather than relying on an old online walkthrough.
Relevant documentation includes Amazon’s pages on Alexa+ sponsored product recommendations and Alexa and Echo Show advertising inventory.
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3. More AI brings reliability and privacy trade-offs
A more conversational assistant can be more useful, but it can also be wrong, incomplete, or overconfident. The sensible test is not whether Alexa+ sounds natural in a demonstration. It is whether it handles follow-up questions, interruptions, ambiguous requests, calendar edits, recipe scaling, shopping comparisons, smart-home routines, camera searches, and recovery after a wrong answer.
There is also more sensitive context to consider. Voice, camera, calendar, household, shopping, and smart-home data can reveal a great deal about a home. Proactive suggestions may feel helpful to one family and intrusive to another.
The devices include physical camera-shutter and microphone controls, alongside account privacy settings. Review those controls before placing a display in a bedroom, workspace, or other private area. Alexa+ access and pricing can vary by market and account; Amazon’s official page currently describes it as free with Prime, but confirm the terms that apply to your U.S. account at the time of purchase.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which Echo Show should you buy?
Choose the Echo Show 8 if…
- You want the best balance of size, capability, and likely cost.
- The device will sit on a kitchen counter, desk, or bedside table.
- Video calling and smart-home control matter more than television viewing.
- You do not need a wall-sized family dashboard.
For most first-time buyers, this is the safest recommendation.
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- New size, more viewing area: The 11“ smart display features a vibrant Full-HD touchscreen with 60% more viewing area versus Echo Show 8 (2025 release), built-in smart home hub, AZ3 Pro chip for powerful performance, and Omnisense technology for highly personalized experiences.
- Content looks and sounds incredible: Watch shows on Prime Video, Netflix, and more on the vibrant Full-HD 11" screen and enjoy room-filling spatial audio, crisper vocals, wider sound stage, and up to 2x bass versus Echo Show 8 (2023 release). With Alexa+, find the name of that song you love and discover new shows based on your preferences.
- Your everyday assistant: The 11" display makes it easy to see recipes and calendars at a glance, find meal inspo, and manage your shopping lists. With Alexa+, find recipes based on foods you love, make reservations, order groceries, and more.
- Simple Smart Home control: Pair and control thousands of devices that work with Alexa without needing a separate smart home hub. Easily view your camera feeds. Manage lights, thermostats, and more using the display or your voice. With Omnisense technology, you can activate routines via temperature, presence, or visual ID detection.
- Crystal-clear video calls: Video calls feel natural on the vibrant 11" screen with a centered, auto-framing camera, 3.3x zoom, and noise reduction technology. Use live view to check in on your family, pets, and more while you're away.
Choose the Echo Show 11 only if…
- You specifically want a larger countertop screen.
- The price premium over the Echo Show 8 is small.
- You have confirmed that the video and entertainment apps you need are supported.
- You do not expect a rotating display like the Echo Show 10.
It is a niche middle option, not automatically the best compromise.
Choose the Echo Show 15 if…
- You want a wall-mounted family calendar or smart-home dashboard.
- Fire TV matters.
- Your household will actually use calendars, lists, recipes, cameras, photos, and widgets.
- You have the wall space and are comfortable with installation.
Choose the Echo Show 21 if…
- Maximum screen area is genuinely your priority.
- The display will be used communally as both dashboard and television.
- You accept a large, prominent Amazon-branded screen.
- Your room has enough wall space and viewing distance to justify it.
Do not upgrade yet if…
- You mainly use your current Echo Show for timers, music, alarms, and basic commands.
- You dislike shopping prompts or advertising on personal devices.
- Privacy is your primary concern.
- You expect Alexa+ to be fully mature and identical across all models.
- You want a neutral tablet, television, or platform-agnostic smart-home controller.
Upgrade advice for existing Echo Show owners
Echo Show 5 owners: Upgrade to the 8 when you need a more useful screen, better video calling, or stronger smart-home control. The 11 is worthwhile only if its additional size solves a specific problem.
Echo Show 8 owners: A newer 2025 Echo Show 8 makes the most sense if you want the newer camera, platform, and smart-home capabilities. If your current model already handles timers, music, and simple controls, Alexa+ alone may not justify replacement.
Echo Show 10 owners: Compare carefully before moving to the 11. You may gain newer hardware but lose the rotating-screen experience.
Echo Show 15 owners: The 2nd-generation model may offer a better fit for users who need newer software, Fire TV, Wi-Fi 6E, or current smart-home hub support. The upgrade is less compelling if your existing display already handles the household tasks you use.
Prime households: Alexa+ may provide a stronger reason to stay within Amazon’s ecosystem, subject to current eligibility and regional terms.
Privacy-sensitive households: Consider whether an always-on Amazon display with cameras, shopping features, personalized AI, and smart-home access belongs in your home at all.
Bottom line
The newest Echo Shows are more useful as visual smart-home hubs than earlier generations, especially when Alexa+ can turn spoken requests into visible plans, lists, recommendations, and household information. The Echo Show 15 and 21 add a genuinely different wall-mounted Fire TV experience, while the 2025 Echo Show 8 is the most broadly sensible choice.
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Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
