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Are you looking for a smart video device with Smart Home capability and can’t decide between the Amazon Echo Show and Echo Spot? In this article, you will find the answer to which device is best for you – including a comparison table and detailed information on both products.
The answer to this question is actually quite simple:
If a large HD display and excellent audio quality are important to you (e.g. for Youtube or movies/series), you should get the Echo Show. If you are only interested in the functional features like Alexa, video telephony or the connection to a smart doorbell or baby cam, the Echo Spot is probably better suited for you, because it can do all this as well as the Echo Show – only with worse sound and a much smaller display.
| Echo Show* | Echo Spot* | |
| Size | 9.7’’ x 6.9’’ x 4.2’’ (246 x 174 x 107 mm) | 4.1” x 3.8” x 3.6” (104 x 97 x 91 mm) |
| Weight | 62.2 oz. (1,755 kg) | 14.8 oz. (0,42 kg) |
| Material | Plastic and fabric | Plastic |
| Color | Charcoal & Sandstone | Black & White |
| Display Size | 10.1 inch HD touch screen | 2.5 inch touch screen (round) |
| Resolution | 1280 x 800 (720p) | 480 x 480 |
| Camera | Yes | Yes |
| Speakers | Dual 2” neodymium drivers (expandable with Bluetooth) | Mono (expandable with Bluetooth and 3.5 mm Stereo output) |
| Passive Bass Radiator | Yes | No |
| Audio Quality | Premium | Standard |
| Built-in Hub | Yes (Zigbee) | No |
| Music Streaming | Yes | Yes |
| Voice Calls | Yes (with Alexa App) | Yes (with Alexa App) |
| Video Calls | Yes | Yes |
Table of Contents
Get the Echo Show If…
- You want to watch videos: The Echo Spot also has a high-resolution display for its size but is less suitable for videos. You can enjoy movies, series, YouTube & Co. much better on the large HD display of the Echo Show! The large touch screen provides super contrast and rich colors. Combined with the excellent audio quality, the Echo Show is a small, smart cinema!
- You want to hear some music: The Echo Show has two stereo speakers and passive bass. This makes it easy for it to fill a large room with excellent music quality. No matter if you like to listen to some music while cooking or if you want to provide some background music at a party, the Echo Show is up to the task!
- You want to browse the Internet: The Echo Show has Firefox and the Amazon Silk Browser installed. It lets you browse the web and even access YouTube to watch videos or stream music.
- You’re looking for cooking support: The Echo Show can read your recipes and show you pictures of them. By voice command, you can repeat the last step and let Alexa guide you through a recipe.
Get the Echo Spot If…
- You’re on a tight budget: The Echo Spot is much cheaper than the Echo Show.
- You are looking mainly for functionality: The Echo Spot has a smaller display and a poorer audio quality than the Echo Show. Nevertheless, it offers all practical functionalities such as the display of the current weather, video telephony, live feeds of baby cams, surveillance cameras or doorbells and so on. So if you’re looking for a smart video device with no frills, the Echo Spot is for you. It can be used, for example, as a smart alarm clock or in the hallway.
Similarities – Show vs. Spot
The Echo Show and Echo Spot both have a touch screen that you can use to operate the device and watch videos or other visual content.
In addition, you can operate both via Alexa, i.e. via voice command without having to use your hands. The versions of Alexa don’t differ a bit – the same virtual assistant is available on all Echo devices.
Especially when you don’t have a hand free, Alexa is super handy. The Echo Show is ideal for the kitchen, for example, to display recipes or read them aloud, or to browse through music without having to use your hands.
A camera is built into both the Echo Show and the Echo Spot. This is mainly intended for video telephony.
On both devices, the time, weather, news and skill suggestions for Alexa are displayed by default. When you listen to music, the screen displays additional information such as song titles or lyrics.
In addition to functionality with Alexa and her skills, both devices share manual operation via the three volume control buttons (louder, quieter, mute) on the top.
Differences – Show vs. Spot
The biggest difference between the Echo Show and Echo Spot is, of course, their size and especially the size of their displays. Here the Echo Show can trump with its 10.1 inch HD display.
In the Echo Show, the resolution is 1280 x 800, in the Echo Spot only 480 x 480 with a circular display of 2.5 inches diameter. You could almost mistake it for a digital alarm clock.
The Echo Spot is shaped like a ball with a flat front. The Echo Show, on the other hand, looks like a tablet from the front. It consists mainly of a display and loudspeakers on the back!
Due to the size and dimensions of the display, you definitely enjoy videos on the Echo Show more than on the Echo Spot. The small and round screen greatly reduces the size of the video, usually limiting the spot to informative videos such as news, live feeds from surveillance cameras or video telephony.
The Echo Show is ideal for watching movies or series. The Echo Spot is rather intended for news or live feeds from cameras.
A further advantage of the larger touch screen on the Echo Show is that you can use a keyboard much more comfortable than on the Echo Spot.
Even though Alexa is the same on both Echo devices, she still understands you better with the Echo Show. The Echo Show has 8 microphones, the Spot only 4, so the Echo Show can still hear you very well at the other end of the room (or when it gets a little louder while cooking).
As you may have noticed, the Echo Show is designed for entertainment and the Echo Spot for functionality. This is reflected not only in its larger display but also in the audio quality. The Echo Show has two stereo speakers and a very effective bass, which allows it to fill a room with excellent sound quality with ease. If you place both devices opposite each other, the Echo Spot is falling behind by far.
Our Recommendation: The Echo Show
The Echo Show* is now in its third generation and offers many improvements over its predecessor.
In addition to the complete overhaul of its design from a large, bulky plastic block with a rather small display to a very stylish device more or less consisting only of a display, numerous other features of the Echo Show have also been improved.
These include, for example, a better audio system, improved software and, totally ingenious, a built-in Smart Home Hub. In this article, you can find more details about the differences between the first and second generation of the Echo Show: Echo Show – (1st-Gen) vs. (2nd-Gen) – Comparison & Review
Here are the best features of the current Echo Show listed:
- Large HD touch screen: With the huge built-in screen on the front, the Echo Show looks almost like a tablet from the front. With 720p HD resolution you can also watch your favorite series on the Echo Show in bed – much more practical than a laptop!
- New design: Unlike its predecessor, the new Echo Show looks really smart and elegant and fits in every room. The first generation, unfortunately, looked like an old television and not like a modern smart home device. The latest generation, on the other hand, is a smart and high-quality device.
- Premium Sound: The two stereo speakers and the passive bass radiator create a truly outstanding sound for music, film, and speech. As mentioned before, the Echo Show is very well suited for watching your favorite series on the sofa or in bed – and with its excellent sound, the Echo Show trumps any laptop with ease in this respect.
- Built-in Zigbee Hub: With the built-in Zigbee Hub, the Echo Show creates its own Smart Home Base Station that you can connect to a wide range of Smart Home devices. If you’re new to the smart home sector, the Echo is even more rewarding because it gives you a very good foundation for your network of smart devices.
- Ingenious Alexa Skills: With the new version of the Echo Show, Amazon Alexa has also added new and improved skills. These include video calls with Skype, Live TV, YouTube, step-by-step recipe instructions, many new voice commands and much more.
It is now very easy to talk to the Echo Show and the number of features helps to save time in everyday life. I have my Echo Show standing in the kitchen and can ask about the weather, ask for the next step in the recipe or turn on and off a certain light without having to wash my hands every time I want to use it. A true helper in everyday life!
The last ingenious feature I added to my Echo Show is the live feed of my smart doorbell in front of my front door. I had the situation once or twice that the postman rang the doorbell and I had absolutely no hand free to answer the door.
Related: The 5 Best Smart Home Video Doorbells 👉 Buying Guide
Via the Echo Show, I could access the doorbell and talk to the postman via intercom. So I could tell him that he can put the package in front of the door and I’ll get it later – totally brilliant!
Further Questions around the Topic
Can I watch movies and series on both devices (Echo Show & Echo Spot)?
Yes! You can watch movies and shows on both devices. However, Echo Spot is absolutely not suitable for this because its display is too small and its circular format cuts off much of the image.
Can I watch YouTube on the Echo Show and Echo Spot?
At the moment YouTube can only be reached via the built-in browser of the Echo Show. Unfortunately, you still have to take this detour because Amazon and Google don’t like each other too much and often get in each other’s way.
Do I need my own Zigbee hub when choosing the Echo Spot?
Not necessarily. There are more and more Smart Home devices that work without their own hub and can be addressed directly via a Smart Home system such as Alexa or via their own app.
Whether you need a separate hub depends only on whether you currently have equipment that doesn’t work without a hub. If you are worried about the future, you should get along well without your own hub.
Can I use an Echo Show or Echo Spot for my Ring Video doorbell?
Absolutely! This is even one of my favorite features from my Echo Spot and Echo Show! You can directly access the Live Feed and the intercom of the smart doorbell. So I can always talk to the person in front of the door and always know exactly what is going on there!
Do I need a base station or Smart Home Hub for the Echo Show or the Echo Spot?
No. Both the Echo Show and the Echo Spot are stand-alone devices. You don’t need another device to operate them or integrate them into your Smart Home. On the contrary, the Echo Show even comes with a built-in Zigbee hub and potentially becomes the heart of the network in your Smart Home. Through the Zigbee hub, you can connect other Smart Home devices that need a base station to Alexa.
Do friends and family also need an Echo Show or Spot for video calls?
No! The only thing they need is the free Alexa App, which is available for all common operating systems. With the Alexa App you can call as well as be called an answer anywhere with any Alexa or Echo device.
Can I turn off the display of the Echo Spot completely at night?
Yes, the Echo Spot is often used as an alarm clock on the bedside table and should, therefore, be completely dark at night. To turn off the display, all you have to do is give Alexa the command: “Alexa, turn off the display!”
Bottom Line
The Echo Show can basically do everything better than the Echo Spot! But the Echo Spot is cheaper.
The decision which device is right for you depends on how you want to use it. If you want to watch your favorite series in HD quality and premium sound, you want to get the Echo Show.
However, if you only want to watch the weather or the live feed of your smart doorbell, and good sound quality and a huge display are of secondary importance, you’ll be very well served with the Echo Spot.
As an example I have my Echo Show in the kitchen to be able to read recipes on the large display and to listen to music while cooking with the excellent sound quality. And when I was sick in bed last winter, I was still able to watch my favorite series with great video and audio quality.
The Echo Spot, on the other hand, is in my hallway in the entrance area and is mainly there to give me information about weather, to take Alexa orders and to access the camera in front of the door.
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.
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