The MediaTek MT8183 processor is a power upgrade from the previous MT8163 model, but you probably won’t notice any significant change in performance or responsiveness in everyday use. The original Echo Show 8 never felt particularly slow to respond either, and this power increase did not make a noticeable difference in our tests. Basically, if you already own an original Echo Show 8, expect no changes in the look, sound, or response of the new model.
The big upgrade the new Echo Show 8 got from its predecessor is its camera. The new device has a 13MP camera with auto-framing, a jump up from the 1MP sensor in the original Echo Show 8. It appears to be the same camera used in the latest Echo Show 10, but without the motorized tracking feature.
[content-egg-block template=offers_logo hide=price]As an Amazon Alexa smart display, the Echo Show 8 offers a full range of voice control features using Amazon’s popular voice assistant: ask Alexa for general information, check your calendar and email, set reminders, and control smart home devices, and perform other useful tasks.
The Echo Show 8’s 8-inch display is fine for one-on-one video calls, but is too small to comfortably use for group calls. Also, while you can see messages posted to a chat, you cannot type your own messages on the Echo Show display; all participation in a Zoom call can be done by voice, but you can say “Alexa, open Zoom” on the Echo Show and then use the Zoom app It is much easier to call up the Zoom app by saying “Alexa, open Zoom” in the Echo Show and entering the conference code or starting the conference yourself from the touch screen.
The new processor in the second-generation Echo Show 8 makes the smart display respond more quickly to taps and swipes than the previous generation. It’s not a huge difference, and Amazon’s software still has a long way to go to make it more useful with touch, but a side-by-side comparison shows that the newer one opens menus and screens faster.