Amazon Echo Show 5 (2023, 3rd Gen) review: Smart alarm clock

Best Prices Today: Amazon Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen)

$89.99

Amazon originally launched its smaller Echo Show smart display in 2019 and has released a new model every two years since. Designed as a kind of smart alarm clock for your bedside table, it can display a lot more information than, say, an Echo Dot with clock.

It’s not just a scaled-down version of Amazon’s larger smart displays and has a few limitations that could prove to be deal breakers.

Design and build

• 5.5 inch screen
• Rounded corners
• Charcoal, white and cloud blue colors

At a glance, there isn’t much difference between the Echo Show 5 generations. This latest model rounds the corners of the device itself and the screen, giving it a smoother appearance.

Only the Charcoal model has a black bezel around the screen. Choose White or Cloud Blue (a much lighter shade than Deep Sea blue on the 2^n/a-gen) and it will have a white bezel.

The rear, as always, is covered in fabric and hides the speaker upwards which Amazon says has better voice clarity and deeper bass than the 2^n/a-gen Echo Show 5, tested. This is a good thing as the audio quality was one of the main criticisms for this device.

Jim Martin / Foundry

I love that Amazon has updated the volume buttons to match the + and – symbols found on the latest Echo smart speakers, because it’s now possible to feel which is which. This is a problem with older Echo Show 5 (and Echo Show 15) because there is no distinction between their circular buttons.

The only connector is for the power supply: there is no longer a microUSB port. Not a problem as the port on the old Echo Show 5s was for a USB to Ethernet adapter which I bet hardly anyone has used.

Jim Martin / Foundry

The 5.5-inch screen is the same size as before, but the difference here is that it’s able to dim a lot more and not disturb your sleep like some owners found the first and second-gen models could.

Colors, contrast and viewing angles are excellent.

Jim Martin / Foundry

Setting up the Echo Show 5 is easy as its screen means there’s no need to use the Alexa app on your phone. An on-screen keyboard allows you to enter your Wi-Fi password and then your Amazon account details. However, my US-based colleague, Michael, also received a 3rd gen device to review and was unable to set it up. An error message said “We can’t find your Amazon account” although the details are correct. At the time of publishing this review, we still don’t know what the problem is.

Michael Brown / Foundry

Features

• 2MP camera
• Press to repeat
• privacy shutter

There’s a built-in camera on the front of the Echo Show 5 that you can use for Alexa calls (video calls to other Echo Shows), but it can also double as a security camera, although it only lets you view live video.

It would be useful for checking in on what’s going on in the room when you’re away from home (or just in another room), but the fact that the screen is tilted back means you get a great view of the ceiling but nothing of the floor or the first few feet. You can at least hear what’s going on thanks to the built-in mics.

Jim Martin / Foundry

When using the Echo Show 5 for video calls, I missed the Echo Show 8’s “stay in frame” feature that keeps you in view even if you’re moving. In fact, I had to move away from the camera more than expected to avoid having the top of my head cut off by the fixed angle.

Since it’s designed for use in the bedroom, it’s good that there’s a shutter you can slide in front of the camera to completely block its view. Amazon says it also electronically disables the camera.

Jim Martin / Foundry

There are three microphones – one more than the 2^n/a-gen Echo Show 5 – which are meant to help Alexa hear you better but I couldn’t tell the difference. Alexa certainly responded reliably when I said the wake word.

Night mode is not exclusive to 3^rd-gen Echo Show 5, as it is also available on previous generations. It removes all screen distractions and only displays the clock in a red font so you can check it if you wake up in the middle of the night.

Jim Martin / Foundry

When your morning alarm rings, you can press up to snooze, but there’s no setting to change that to stop the alarm instead.

During the day, you’ll probably use the screen for information more than anything else, but it’s about big enough to enjoy photos from Amazon Photos. It’s probably not the kind of device you’d watch shows from Amazon Prime Video on, and I certainly wouldn’t want to watch a movie on it. The screen is smaller than most phones.

Jim Martin / Foundry

For this reason, it’s not that bad that Netflix disappeared. It’s available on older Echo Show 5s, but for some reason it’s not on the latter.

Unlike an Amazon Fire TV Stick, you can’t install apps on an Echo Show, so you’re stuck with what’s on it or what you can get in a web browser. Ask Alexa to open YouTube, for example, and the web browser will pop up and load the YouTube website.

Sound quality

The single 1.75-inch speaker sounds better than the same-sized woofer in the previous Echo Show 5. No one would say it sounds impressive, but it has more bass and vocals are, as promised, clearer.

This makes it good for hearing Alexa responses as well as listening to radio or podcasts. It’s even acceptable for watching the odd video.

You can, as with all Echo devices, pair Bluetooth headphones to listen in better quality and without disturbing anyone.

It is also possible to pair a Bluetooth speaker for better sound quality

Pricing & Availability

You can buy an Echo Show 5 3^rd-gen right now from Amazon for $89.99 in the US and £89.99 in the UK.

As always, you can also buy them elsewhere, including Best Buy and Target in the US and John Lewis and Currys in the UK.

It’s $5 more than the previous model in the UK and £15 more in the UK.

However, you can still buy the second-gen Echo Show 5 from retailers that still have stock and it costs a lot less than when it launched. For example, it was only $42.99 at Best Buy and £49.99 at Argos at the time of writing, but if you want to grab one of these bargains you should be quick as they won’t stick around for long.

The latest Echo Show 5 is also available in a Kids Edition which has a playful galaxy print on its fabric and includes one-year access to Amazon Kids+ and the same two-year warranty you get with a Fire Kids Edition tablet which covers accidental damage. This version costs $99.99 in the US and £99.99 in the UK. That’s a lot for just £10 more.

But it’s worth knowing that you can do a regular Echo Show 5 3^rd-gen child friendly by enabling kids mode in settings.

Verdict

The 3^rd-gen Echo Show 5 is a great smart alarm clock to put next to your bed for those who want a screen to display photos, weird videos and – most importantly – visual information. Maybe even to control your smart home devices.

Jim Martin / Foundry

It’s a little frustrating that Netflix isn’t supported despite being on Amazon’s smaller smart display in the past. However, the video doesn’t really make sense on such a small screen.

Those who don’t like devices with screens and cameras would be better off with an Echo Dot 5 with clock: it’s cheaper, has a useful clock display, and gets pretty dim enough to sleep next to it.

An alternative would be to use the Echo Show 5 in a kitchen, but the Echo Show 8, 10 and especially 15 are probably more suitable with their larger screens which make it easier to see details from a distance, whether it’s checking the weather or following a recipe.

Amazon isn’t the only brand making these kinds of devices, of course. And you’ll find alternatives and our recommendations for others in our roundup of the best smart displays.

Specifications

• 5.5-inch screen, 960 x 480 pixels
• 1.75 inch speaker
• 2Mp camera with shutter
• 147 x 82 x 91mm
• 456g
• 802.11ac Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth
• MediaTek MT 8169B processor
• One year warranty