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Amazon announced the redesigned Echo Show 8 (4th Gen, 2025 release) and the new Echo Show 11 on September 30, 2025—not in August 2026. Both became available on November 12, 2025, with U.S. launch prices of $179.99 and $219.99 respectively. The Echo Show 8 is the better value for most countertops; the Echo Show 11 is worth the extra $40 when a larger, more readable screen matters.
This is a substantial redesign, not merely a larger display refresh. The two models add Amazon’s AZ3 Pro processor, Omnisense sensing platform, redesigned screens, front-facing stereo audio, and 13-megapixel cameras. Their main practical difference is size: the Echo Show 11 is a larger countertop display, not a fundamentally more capable computer.
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What Amazon announced
The two devices were part of Amazon’s 2025 Alexa+ hardware refresh, alongside the Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio. Amazon positioned the Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 as devices built for more conversational and proactive Alexa+ experiences, with additional processing, memory, edge-AI capability, and sensing hardware.
The Echo Show 8 is the fourth-generation model in the Echo Show 8 line. That distinction matters: the 2023 third-generation Echo Show 8 already introduced a centered 13-megapixel camera, spatial audio, a faster processor, and a built-in smart-home hub. The 2025 version is a meaningful redesign, but it is not the first major improvement to the product family.
#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 announcement describes both models as available from November 12, 2025, with Alexa+ Early Access for new buyers.
What changed in the redesign
A thinner, more unified display design
Amazon gave both devices a floating-display-style appearance and a more unified design language. The custom screens use in-cell touch and a negative liquid-crystal display design. Amazon also says the construction reduces display lamination layers, an approach intended to improve viewing angles.
Both displays have more than one million pixels. Amazon’s announcement and feature guide do not establish a complete public resolution specification in the supplied material, so it would be misleading to describe them using an unverified resolution number.
The displays are also intended to support ambient visuals that adapt to the environment and the viewer’s proximity. That makes the devices more suitable as glanceable household screens, rather than simple voice assistants with a screen attached.
New audio hardware
Both models use front-facing stereo speakers and a custom woofer. Amazon says the system provides room-filling or spatially positioned audio and claims up to twice the bass of the previous Echo Show 8.
That bass figure is an Amazon comparison claim, not an independently verified laboratory measurement. The practical benefit should be clearest for music, podcasts, audiobooks, and video played directly from the display. A screenless Echo speaker remains the simpler choice if display features are unimportant.
A 13-megapixel camera
The Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 each have a 13-megapixel camera with auto-framing and 3× zoom. Amazon says the AZ3 Pro chip also improves noise filtering.
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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.
The camera supports video calls, Drop In, Visual ID, and Alexa+ features that use recognition and presence information. Those capabilities are useful for family calls and room-aware interactions, but they also make privacy settings an important part of the buying decision.
AZ3 Pro and Omnisense
Amazon’s custom AZ3 Pro silicon includes an AI accelerator for edge-AI workloads. Both displays also use Amazon’s Omnisense sensing platform, which can combine camera, audio, ultrasound, Wi-Fi radar, accelerometer, and Wi-Fi channel-state-information inputs.
The intended result is more proactive behavior: recognizing presence, identifying people who have enrolled in Visual ID, and triggering personalized information or routines. Amazon’s description explains what the platform is designed to enable; it does not mean every feature is available everywhere, enabled by default, or supported in every country.
Alexa+ is the central software upgrade
The new hardware is designed primarily as a platform for Alexa+, rather than simply as a pair of larger Echo Show screens. Alexa+ is intended to make interactions more conversational and context-aware.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteOn a compatible Echo Show, the screen-centered benefits can include:
- Visual calendar summaries, reminders, and family scheduling.
- More natural music discovery and playlist creation.
- Conversational searches through Amazon Photos.
- Smart-home control that uses context and routines.
- Visual shopping with product pages, reviews, comparisons, and purchasing.
- Camera feeds and, where supported, Ring event summaries.
- Video, music, podcasts, audiobooks, ambient sounds, widgets, and glanceable information.
Alexa+ can also connect with services including Spotify, Apple Music, OpenTable, Uber, Grubhub, Thumbtack, and others. Availability depends on the service, account, device, software, and location. Amazon explicitly warns that not every Alexa+ feature is available on every device or in every country.
Alexa+ cost and availability
Amazon’s current Alexa+ information lists the service at $19.99 per month for customers who do not receive it through Prime. Amazon says it is included at no additional charge for Prime members. The same page lists general availability in the U.S. and Canada, with early-access availability in additional countries including the U.K., Mexico, Brazil, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, and France.
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.
Terms and regional availability can change. Buying the Echo Show hardware should not be treated as a guarantee of permanent access to every advertised Alexa+ capability.
Echo Show 8 versus Echo Show 11
| Category | Echo Show 8 | Echo Show 11 |
|---|---|---|
| Role | Smaller countertop smart display | Larger countertop smart display |
| U.S. launch price | $179.99 | $219.99 |
| Core hardware | AZ3 Pro and Omnisense | AZ3 Pro and Omnisense |
| Camera | 13 MP, auto-framing, 3× zoom | 13 MP, auto-framing, 3× zoom |
| Audio concept | Front-facing stereo speakers and custom woofer | Front-facing stereo speakers and custom woofer |
| Best placement | Kitchen counter, desk, bedside table | Kitchen, living room, family command center |
| Main advantage | Lower cost and smaller footprint | Larger, easier-to-read screen |
| Main trade-off | Less screen area | Higher price and larger footprint |
The Echo Show 11 should not be viewed as a much more powerful version of the Echo Show 8. Based on Amazon’s announcement and independent hands-on coverage, the two models share the central Alexa+ hardware and feature approach. The deciding question is whether the extra screen area is useful from the place where the display will sit.
Which one should you buy?
Buy the Echo Show 8 if:
- You have limited counter or desk space.
- You want the least expensive route into the redesigned hardware.
- You mainly need timers, music, recipes, weather, calls, and smart-home controls.
- You will normally stand close enough to read the screen comfortably.
- You do not need a large family calendar or room-wide video screen.
Buy the Echo Show 11 if:
- The screen will be viewed across a kitchen or living room.
- Calendars, recipes, camera feeds, photos, shopping, or video are central uses.
- The additional $40 over the launch price of the Echo Show 8 is acceptable.
- You want a larger countertop device without moving to the wall-oriented Echo Show 15 or 21.
Amazon already offers larger Echo Show formats, including the 15 and 21. The Echo Show 11 is best understood as a middle-size countertop option, not Amazon’s first large-screen Echo Show.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Should you upgrade from an older Echo Show?
From a 2021 Echo Show 8
The case for upgrading is relatively strong. You gain the newer design, AZ3 Pro processing, Omnisense sensing, the redesigned display construction, newer audio hardware, and the Alexa+ platform. The value is greatest if the older device feels slow, is used for video calls or household dashboards, or you want more proactive and personalized interactions.
From the 2023 Echo Show 8
The case is more selective. The 2023 model already brought major improvements, including a centered 13-megapixel camera, spatial audio, a faster processor, and a built-in smart-home hub. Upgrade if you specifically want the 2025 design, new processing and sensing capabilities, improved audio, or Alexa+ features that matter to you. Do not assume that basic timers, music, recipes, weather, or ordinary smart-home commands will feel radically different.
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The Echo Show 8 is the more natural upgrade for most rooms. It provides more useful screen area without the larger footprint and higher price of the Show 11. Choose the 11 only if the display will be read from farther away.
From an Echo Show 15 or 21
The smaller models are not straightforward upgrades. They are better suited to counters, desks, and bedside tables, while the 15 and 21 are designed for larger, wall-oriented household dashboards. Move down in size only if the existing display is too large for its location.
Rank #4
- 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.
From a screenless Echo speaker
Buy one of the new displays only if you will use the visual features: calendars, photos, video calls, camera feeds, shopping, recipes, widgets, or visual smart-home controls. If you mainly want music, timers, weather, and voice commands, a screenless Echo is likely the simpler and less expensive fit.
Important limitations and costs
The hardware price is not always the ownership price
Separate the costs of:
- The Echo Show hardware.
- Alexa+ access.
- An Amazon Prime membership.
- Ring subscriptions.
- Third-party service accounts or subscriptions.
Some Ring camera summaries and Smart Video Search features can require a separate Ring subscription. Amazon also notes that Ring Smart Video Search is unavailable on Ring devices in Illinois because of state legislation. Third-party services surfaced through Alexa+ may have their own account or payment requirements.
Privacy and proactive behavior
The same hardware that enables personalized behavior also adds privacy considerations. The camera, Visual ID, presence detection, Wi-Fi radar, and proactive routines may not suit every household.
Before buying, consider whether everyone who will use the room is comfortable with a camera-enabled display and presence-aware features. Amazon describes privacy controls and a privacy dashboard, but exact menus can change with device software. Do not assume that every proactive feature is enabled, available, or configured the same way on every account.
It is not a general-purpose tablet
The Echo Show is a voice-first smart display with a touchscreen, not a tablet replacement. Its strengths are ambient information, Alexa, smart-home control, calls, photos, and supported media. A tablet remains better for broad app support, browser use, portability, flexible streaming, and general-purpose computing.
Amazon’s TV & Videos experience adds more media functionality, but service availability and playback behavior can vary. The Echo Show should not be purchased on the assumption that it offers the unrestricted streaming experience of a tablet or television.
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The 2025 Echo Show refresh is substantial where it counts: the physical design, display construction, audio system, camera, processing, and sensing platform all move forward. The Echo Show 11 is not a separate performance class, however. It is mainly the larger-screen version of the same Alexa+ experience.
For most countertop buyers, the Echo Show 8 is the safer choice because it costs less and fits more spaces. Choose the Echo Show 11 when readability from across the room, larger calendars, recipes, camera feeds, photos, or video justify the extra size and launch-price premium. Existing Echo Show owners should upgrade for the new design, Alexa+, audio, or sensing—not simply because ordinary Alexa commands have changed.
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.
