Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsIf you are on the fence… Please read. (Updated: JUNE 2022)
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2021
Before ordering this one I already an echo show 8”, first gen. I was about to buy another one when I got an add saying that I could pre-order a second gen. I could not find a good comparison anywhere so I asked myself, should I pay 20$ more for an unknown. I did and spoiler alert, it is worth it, kinda.
Positives:
- The new camera features are great. The camera can track you and center you for video calls, real time, and it does it accurately.
- Speaking of the camera, the camera upgrade is insane. Went from 1MP to 13MP.
- The processor is supposed to be much more powerful. Looking at the new camera features, understanding where you are in a group of people and tracking you accordingly, it is noticeable. However, given that a lot of the actions on the device are web based, there is not a huge difference on other apps. The responsiveness of the touchscreen is perhaps a bit better but it was good to begin with.
- The unit will go to low power mode when idle, helping you save a penny here and there…
- Several privacy features. The stop listening button we have grown used to. The camera can be manually closed shut for privacy. When remote viewing through the show, there is a warning message, etc...
Negatives:
- Amazon did not learn from their mistakes. Just like with the Show 10”, the power cord is white for every unit, whether the unit is black or white. The camera shutter, is white too.
- The 3.5 jack is gone.
Other thoughts:
The sound quality___
One of the items on my wish list for this one was an improved audio quality. The sound quality improved over the previous gen, I think, but I would say its marginal if that, not enough to even be sure it did.
The white cord___
What I hate the most about my Echo Show 10 is the white cord on a black unit. Since I fell for it with the Show 10 and white would go well with my decor, I preemptively went for a white unit, to eliminate the eyesore, in case Amazon did not learn from their mistakes. To a certain extent, I was secretly hoping the cord would be black so I could swap it with my Show 10” and fix two problems with one move. Nope, its white.
Even with a warning from me that it could happen, a friend went for the charcoal one and he is still fuming. So, if you are like me that the white cord on a black unit would drive you crazy, and you are going for it, order the white one.
The environment___
If you are still on the fence about this one, be aware that 2nd gen uses recycled materials on its manufacturing. To me this is a selling point.
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TLDR,
1) If you use it a lot for video calls, the improved camera and improved camera features, makes it a worthy upgrade. If this is not your cup of tea, waiting for a prime day sale on a previous gen might be better.
2) If having a white cord on a black unit is something that would drive you crazy, get the white one or go for the previous gen.
Updated (JUNE2022): It appears that Amazon did learn from their mistakes. Another friend I warned about the cord, told me he didn’t really cared and went for the black one. Well, he got it with a black cord. Given that to me this was the worst negative, I just raised it one star.
