STACK #238 August 2024

TECH REVIEW

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What’s new? Being the third generation of the Echo Show 5, we’re talking evolution of the tried-and-true formula, rather than revolution. While the shape remains much the same, it is a touch more rounded, while the 5.5-inch touchscreen maintains the same 960 x 480-pixel resolution. It’s inside where the bigger changes have occurred. These amount to a zippy AZ2 Neural Edge processor for quicker responses, an upgraded microphone array, and a slightly larger 1.75-inch speaker. How does it look and sound? While it may not boast

REVIEW

Since the Amazon Echo Show first made its debut, we’ve been introduced to various models and iterations.The baby of the family, the Echo Show 5, has now reached its third generation, and while it may be small, it’s big on features. Words Amy Flower THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH?

a mega resolution, the Echo Show 5’s

small screen still looks impressive enough to deliver whatever visual requests you hurl at it. It wouldn’t be anybody’s first choice of device on which

to watch the latest episode of The Boys , but it’ll do it if you ask. As for the touchscreen functionality, it’s pleasingly responsive. We were pleasantly surprised at the sound that this little device pumps out of its upward firing speaker. You couldn’t power a party with it, but it’s more than ample for the task at hand, with decent enough bass - as long as you don’t

What’s it all about? An appealing combination of Alexa-enabled smart speaker and touchscreen, the Echo Show 5’s diminutive dimensions makes it perfect for such places as home offices, kitchens, or bedrooms, where you may want to be connected, but don’t necessarily have much in the way of spare space. Whether you want to watch a favourite show, catch up on the news or weather, or flick through your favourite photos, the Echo Show 5 screen offers all possibilities. And with

Alexa at its core, you can set reminders, or hit it with any question and it’ll try to answer – you can even ask it to tell you a joke (likely pilfered from somebody’s dad…) All you need is an Amazon account. Installing the Alexa app on your smartphone opens up further possibilities, such as adding music streaming services, and connecting smart home devices such as lighting for easy voice control. There’s even support for the Matter protocol, allowing various different smart devices to interact nicely.

crank the volume ridiculously high. What about security? Naturally a device with a camera and

microphone brings up questions of privacy, especially if installed in a more private area such as a bedroom, and the Echo Show 5 offers up three-pronged protection.

There’s a physical camera shutter, a big toggle button to turn off both

camera and microphone, and you can also have your voice recordings deleted should you wish. Plus, there are parental control settings to limit content that’s delivered to any children in your orbit.

The name game While Alexa is the default name of Amazon’s ready and willing helper, there are other options. You can set “Amazon” as the wake word, “Echo”, “Ziggy”, or, if you fancy a bit of an old school sci-fi vibe, “Computer”. You can even choose for your Echo Show 5 to speak in any of an array of both female and male voices with various accents.

What else is handy? Available in charcoal or white, the Amazon Echo Show 5 is Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled, opening up extra options for connectivity. You can make video calls with other Echo Show or Alexa app users, too. Plus, if you have the camera enabled, you can use it as a security watchdog, with the ability to log into it via the Alexa app from anywhere.

84 AUGUST 2024

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