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With the start of Black Friday, two of the standout deals are the recently launched Amazon Echo Show 5 and the Echo Show 8.
At full RRP the price difference is big enough to differentiate them, with the Echo Show 5 costing £79.99 and the Show 8 being £40 more at £119.99.
However, with Black Friday, things have changed, now there is just £10 difference with the Show 5 being £49.99 and the Show 8 being £59.99, both are an amazing buy, but should you fork out the extra for the larger model?
The TLDR would be yes. It is has a bigger screen and better screens easily justifying the cost.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Echo Show 8 (1st Gen, 2019 release) – Smart Display with... | Buy on Amazon |
As the name suggests the Echo Show 5 uses a 5-inch screen, 5.5-inch to be exact and this runs at a meagre 960 x 480 pixels.
The Show 8, unsurprisingly, has an 8-inch screen but this has a much larger resolution of 1280 x 800.
That’s probably worth the extra tenner already, but with speakers, size really does matter. The Echo Show 8 weighs more than double the Show 5 at 1037 g in a body measuring 200.4 x 135.9 x 99.1 mm this allows it to fit 2 x 2.0-inch speaker @ 10W per channel.
Echo Show 5 
Echo Show 8
The Echo 5 which weighs just 410g and measures 148 x 86 x 73 mm has just a single 1.7-inch @ 4W. The quality of audio between the two devices will be night and day. To put it into context, the speaker in the Echo 5 is only slightly larger than the 1.6-inch inside the Echo Dot. While the latest dot is amazing for notifications and voice control, would you really want to watch a video or listen to music on it?
The dual 2-inch speakers of the Show 8 are not that much smaller than the dual 2.2-inch of the original show, and they run at the same 10W per channel.
Beyond these two very significant differences, both of the devices share mostly the same properties. In my opinion, the only reason to go for the smaller model is if you specifically need something a bit smaller due to space requirements. For example, I ordered the Show 8, but I want it to sit below my monitor, but I think it might be a little large.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Echo Show 8 (1st Gen, 2019 release) – Smart Display with... | Buy on Amazon |
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Echo Show 5 (1st Gen, 2019 release) – Smart Display with... | Buy on Amazon |
Both the Show 5 and 8 use a 1MP front-facing camera for video calls, this is quite a bit lower than the 10-inch Show which has 5MP. The biggest show also has Dolby processing and a built-in Zigbee smart home hub, while these make that device the best option, the current price of £159.99 mean it is not worth considering at all, unless a big discount happens later in the week.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Echo Show (2nd Gen) – Stay in touch with the help of Alexa... | Buy on Amazon |
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
Last update on 2025-03-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
