Echo Show - (1st-Gen) vs. (2nd-Gen)

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Gained early experience with automation technology in the private and industrial sector, can turn his living room into a movie theater with one voice command and is the owner of this website. He is happy to share his accumulated experience with every new article.

Amazon Echo Show 2nd Generation VS. Echo Show 1st Generation – Table

	Echo Show 2nd Gen	Echo Show 1nd Gen
Dimensions	246 x 174 x 107 mm	187 x 187 x 90 mm
Display	10 inches	7 inches
High Definition (HD) ?	Yes	Yes
Weight	1,77 kg	1,17 kg
Color	Charcoal, Sandstone	Black, White
Built-in Zigbee Smart Home Hub?	Yes	No
Alexa Skills	All	All
Plays Music & Videos	Yes	Yes
Control over compatible Smart Home Devices?	Yes	Yes
Compatible with Video Feeds of other Smart Devices?	Yes	Yes
Camera	5 Megapixel	5 Megapixel
Passive Bass Radiator	Yes	No
	Check Price*	Check Price*

AMAZON*

AMAZON*

Five Reasons Why the Echo Show 2 is Better than the First Generation

Actually, it is logical that the second generation of a device is better than the first, but with the Echo Show this is true in almost every aspect.

Larger Display

The second generation of the Echo Show has a 10 inch HD touch screen. It consists almost only of a display if you look at it from the front!

In contrast, the first generation display may occupy only a third of its front surface.

The screen of the 2nd gen Echo Show is 3 inches bigger.

This very large screen makes it even more convenient to watch your favorite show, search for a recipe, ask Alexa about the weather, look after your baby or see who’s on your doorstep.

Since the Echo Show is mainly based on its display, the larger display is the best change to the first generation Echo Show. It is much easier to see numbers, text and other information on the display. Especially if you’re just asking for information like the weather.

Better Design

The first generation of the Echo Show doesn’t look like a top product anymore.

It fascinates me again and again how a few years can make such a big difference in people’s perception of design. As with the development of smartphones, the Echo Show has evolved and further increased the display portion of its front panel.

Even without the display, the new Echo Show has a much more elegant design.

In contrast to its predecessor, it no longer looks like a cheap plastic gadget, but gives the impression of a high-quality, smart device through the huge display and the fabric look on the sides.

The new Echo Show is available in black and white.

The Echo Show (2017) has a size of 187 x 187 x 90 mm, the Echo Show (2018) of 246 x 174 x 107 mm.

Better Sound

With the dual 50mm neodymium stereo system with passive bass radiators, the sound quality is now even better than before.

The loudspeaker is no longer a single large loudspeaker in the front as in the first generation, but has been divided into two loudspeakers located on each side. This not only made it possible to make the display bigger, but also to improve the stereo sound.

This was one of the biggest problems of the original show, which could not fill the room very well with rich sound with its forward facing single speaker. Especially when compared to other Echo devices, the first generation Echo Show doesn’t do very well in sound quality. This problem was excellently solved with the second generation!

Thanks to the dynamic bass and clear reproduction of speech, you can listen to excellent music with the second generation Echo Show, as well as talk to someone outside the door via the built-in microphones or make video phone calls.

Just like the first generation Echo Show, the second generation has 8 microphones built in. So the Echo Show can understand you perfectly even at the other end of the room. This ensures that Alexa can understand you well from anywhere.

If music quality is important to you, you can add another subwoofer, the Echo Sub*, to all Echo devices, including the Echo Show.

Built-in Smart Home Hub

If you’re just starting out on the Smart Home topic, the second generation of the Echo Show is especially worthwhile.

The new Echo Show contains a built-in Zigbee Smart Home Hub. This allows you to connect other Smart Home products to your Smart Home via the Echo Show.

With Alexa, you can control them by voice command. There are now many products that can be controlled by Alexa: plugs, security cameras, lighting, and more.

Many of these devices cannot be operated at all or only very impractical with your smartphone without a hub. To connect Smart Home devices sensibly and interact smartly, you need a Smart Home Hub.

I think it’s just the beginning that the first Alexa devices have integrated a Smart Home Hub. In the future, you probably won’t need an extra hub at all and can connect all devices directly to each other via your voice assistant.

Improved Control and User Interface

Not only the appearance of the second generation of the Echo Show has improved. The operation and the software have also taken another step forward.

Here are some updates of the new version listed, which are especially different from the previous version:

You can adjust the sound by voice command (bass, treble, volume, etc.)
Improved video telephony.
You can open the Internet browser by voice command and surf the Internet by voice command.
Step-by-step instructions for recipes.
Compatibility with video doorbells and surveillance cameras with intercom feature.
Plug-and-play integration of ZigBee compatible Smart Home devices.

Where is the first generation of the Echo Show better?

There’s an important point where the first Echo Show does better than the second generation – in price! At least sometimes…

Since the new version has been on the market, the first generation is often on offer, making it a real bargain.

The fact that there is now a better device does not mean that the first generation is a bad product! The Echo Show of the first generation is a clear recommendation if you want to build your Smart Home with a small budget.

Amazon Echo Show (2nd Gen) Review

Now that you know that the second generation of the Echo Show is much better than the first, you might be interested in more details. Therefore we decided to add a little review at the end of this article.

Voice assistants can understand you better and better, operate more devices, and with the Echo Show, they can now directly show you what you’re looking for.

The Echo Show embodies not only a Smart Home Assistant with built-in hub, but also all the functions a tablet or even a small television can offer you.

Design – Modern and Functional

In principle, the Echo Show (2018 – 2nd Gen) resembles a tablet if seen from the front.

The big touch screen with the camera above it resembles a tablet very much in appearance and function. The difference is that the Echo Show hides some very powerful speakers behind the display on the back.

The slanted back is held in a fabric look and is not very pronounced. So the device actually fits everywhere without appearing clunky.

On the top there are buttons for mute, the microphone and for adjusting the volume. On the back you find a micro-USB port.

Audio – Surprisingly much Bass

As already mentioned, the second generation of the Echo Show has a sophisticated stereo system with two speakers on each side and an excellent bass.

Especially for its size the bass is surprisingly good. If this is still not enough for you, you can add an Echo Sub* to your Show.

The sound quality is absolutely sufficient to fill an entire room with first-class sound. Here you don’t have to make any compromises if you want to watch movies or listen to your favorite music.

When you play music with the Echo Show, the display shows either the lyrics or the artist with the current album.

Display – Almost Perfect

The second generation Amazon Echo Show has a 10-inch display with a resolution of 1280 x 800. Because there isn’t much other than the display on the front, the Echo Show looks almost like a small TV or a tablet.

Due to the quite high resolution for such a screen, you can watch movies and series with exactly the same quality as on an HD TV.

I used to like watching series and movies on my laptop – now I’m a little sad that I didn’t have an Echo Show back then!

The only negative point on the display is that the display is susceptible to reflections and glare. Unfortunately, all Alexa devices with display still have this flaw at the moment. However, the fact that the device is mobile and the display can easily be repositioned means that these disadvantages can be quickly offset or avoided.

Interface and Operation

The second generation of the Echo Show feels like a tablet. The touchscreen is large and reacts immediately.

However, the operation is still mainly done by voice commands with Alexa. For example, you can ask her for a recipe or a list of movies to scroll through.

Alexa may be brilliant, but I think that you have to use Alexa is a disadvantage. For example, to get to the list of current Prime movies, you can’t click your way through the screen but have to use the voice command with Alexa.

Smart Home Integration

Since the second generation Echo Show has a built-in Zigbee Smart Home Hub, the Echo Show is actually the first step towards a Smart Home.

Through the hub, you can connect countless Smart Home products with Alexa and thus network your Smart Home. For example with the Philips Hue lighting system* you save the Philips Hue Bridge, which otherwise serves as a base station. You can connect the smart light bulbs directly with your Echo Show and with Alexa to your Smart Home.

There are many Smart Home products that are enhanced by the Echo Show. If you have a smart video doorbell, such as our favorite Ring Video Doorbell 4*, you can view the image of the camera on the Show.

Echo Show Skills

There are now many Alexa Skills. Even those that have an optical interface and are therefore ideal for the Echo Show are becoming more and more popular.

The most popular skills for the Echo Show are listed here.

Video Calls

With the Echo Show, you can call other Alexa devices or a smartphone with the Alexa App installed.

The video playback looks very good on the large display and also in the other direction the conversation partner gets a very good picture thanks to the built-in 5-megapixel camera.

In the not too distant future, Alexa will also get the Skype Skill, which increases the range of possible people to call considerably. Because not every one of your friends or your family has a compatible Alexa device or the right app on the smartphone. With Skype, I will use my Echo Show much more often for video calling!

EarthCam

“Alexa, show me a sunset!” – With EarthCam you can watch the live feed from countless webcams around the globe.

Cooking

Since I have my Echo Show standing in the kitchen, I think the best function is to let me display recipes on voice command.

I can ask Alexa for a lasagna recipe and get a list of recipes with pictures to choose from. I can make the selection either through the touch screen or through voice commands.

You can then have Alexa read the recipe to you – so you don’t have to wash your hands all the time to use the device.

Scan and Shop

With this skill, you can scan a barcode with the camera and then find similar products on Amazon. Due to the large display, shopping at the ECHO Show is very pleasant and can be compared to the operation of a tablet.

The camera scans the barcode very accurately and takes only a few seconds to identify the product. If it is in Amazon’s assortment, it will be suggested to you first.

If you have bought anything in a retail store and would like to have more of it, you can see if this item is also available at Amazon, so that you don’t have to drive off and search again.

Philips Hue

The built-in Zigbee Smart Home Hub lets you integrate Philips Hue Smart Bulbs* directly into your Smart Home via the Echo Show.

With the Philipps Hue Skill, you can also use it immediately with Alexa via voice command.

The dimmable lamps in all imaginable colors allow you to save settings to create specific atmospheres.

For my living room, I have created my own cinema command, with which the room is immediately immersed in a cozy atmosphere.

Spotify

Right now there is hardly anything better than Spotify to stream your favorite music.

This skill is not only great for the Echo Show but actually a must for every smart speaker!

On the Echo Show, however, you will find information about the current song on the display.

Bottom Line

If you need a Smart Home Hub or a smart video device that you can use to control other Smart Home products, the Amazon Echo Show is for you.

When it comes to the decision between the first generation of the Echo Show and the second generation, our decision clearly falls on the second generation (2018). The newer model can outdo the old one in almost all respects.

The only argument for the 2017 model would be an attractive price. Here, however, you have to pay attention to offers, since the devices are usually similarly expensive.

Attention: When installing electronic equipment, please be sure to observe the manufacturer’s safety instructions. You have to take care of your own safety. The information on this site only helps you to learn.
Disclosure: This website is the property of Martin Lütkemeyer and is operated by Martin Lütkemeyer. Martin Lütkemeyer is a member of the Amazon Services LLC Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to enable Web sites to earn advertising revenue through advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Links marked with * are affiliate links.