The Echo Show 8 has quietly become Amazon's best-selling smart display, and the 3rd generation makes a strong case for why. At $149.99, it threads the needle between the too-small Echo Show 5 and the too-expensive Echo Show 15, delivering an 8-inch HD touchscreen with a centered 13MP camera, spatial audio, and — for the first time — built-in Zigbee, Thread, and Matter support that turns it into a legitimate smart home hub.
After a month on our kitchen counter, the Echo Show 8 has become the device we interact with most in the house. It's not perfect — Alexa's smart home interface still lags behind Google Home for complex setups, and the "Adaptive Content" feature is more gimmick than game-changer. But for the price, the combination of solid audio, good video calling, and hub functionality makes this the smart display to beat in its class.
Design & Build
Amazon has refined the Echo Show 8's design with subtle but meaningful changes. The 3rd gen moves the camera to top-center of the bezel — a small shift from the previous corner placement that makes a big difference for video calls. You're no longer looking off to the side during conversations, and the auto-framing feature works much better with the centered lens.
The fabric-wrapped base is carried over from the previous generation, available in charcoal and glacier white. It looks clean on a countertop and the slightly angled display is easy to read from standing or sitting positions. The 8-inch HD screen is bright enough for kitchen use, though it does wash out in direct sunlight near a window.
Build quality is solid for the price point. The physical camera shutter slide is a welcome privacy feature that gives a satisfying click when engaged. The volume buttons on top are responsive, and there's a dedicated mute button that illuminates red when active. At 7.9 x 5.4 x 4.2 inches, it's compact enough to fit on a nightstand but substantial enough to not feel like a toy.
Features
The biggest upgrade isn't visible: the 3rd gen Echo Show 8 now includes Zigbee, Thread, and Matter radios, making it a full smart home hub. You can pair Zigbee devices directly (like Philips Hue bulbs without a Bridge), act as a Thread border router, and serve as a Matter controller. For anyone building out a smart home on a budget, this eliminates the need for a separate hub device.
The 13MP camera is a significant step up from the previous 2MP sensor. Auto-framing keeps you centered during video calls and works smoothly, though it can be a bit aggressive when tracking fast movement. Video call quality on Alexa calling and Zoom is genuinely good — a real improvement over earlier generations.
Amazon's "Adaptive Content" feature uses the camera's proximity sensor to adjust what's shown on screen. From across the room, you see large clock digits and weather. Walk closer, and it transitions to more detailed information like calendar events and news headlines. It's a clever idea that works about 70% of the time — occasionally it misjudges distance or switches content when you're just walking past.
- Built-in hub: Zigbee, Thread, and Matter support
- 13MP camera: Auto-framing for video calls
- Spatial audio: Improved stereo separation
- Adaptive Content: Proximity-aware display
Performance
Audio quality has improved with Amazon's spatial audio processing, which creates a wider soundstage than you'd expect from a device this size. It's not going to replace a dedicated speaker for serious music listening, but for kitchen background music, podcasts, and video call audio, it sounds full and clear with decent bass response. It comfortably fills a medium-sized room.
Alexa response times were consistently fast in our testing — usually under a second for simple commands like lights and timers. Smart home device control through voice works well for individual devices, but creating and managing complex automations through the Alexa app remains tedious compared to Google Home or Apple HomeKit. Routines work, but the interface for building them feels like it was designed by committee.
The Matter hub functionality performed reliably in our testing with a handful of Thread and Matter devices. However, Amazon's Matter implementation still feels like it's catching up to Apple and Google — some Matter device categories aren't fully supported yet, and the pairing process occasionally required multiple attempts. Once connected, devices responded quickly and reliably.
Ease of Use
Setup is about as easy as it gets in the smart home world. Plug it in, connect to WiFi, sign into your Amazon account, and you're running within five minutes. The on-screen guided setup walks you through everything clearly, and importing settings from a previous Echo device is seamless if you're upgrading.
Day-to-day interaction is pleasant. The touchscreen is responsive, and Alexa understands commands accurately the vast majority of the time. The home screen widgets can be customized to show weather, calendars, smart home favorites, and news — and the layout is more intuitive than previous generations. Swiping between screens feels natural.
Where ease of use stumbles is in the Alexa app itself. Managing smart home devices, creating routines, and configuring the hub features all happen in different sections of a sprawling app that desperately needs a redesign. Finding the setting you want often takes 4-5 taps through nested menus. The on-device smart home controls are better, with a swipe-down panel showing favorite devices, but it only scratches the surface of what you can configure.
Value
At $149.99, the Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) is exceptional value. You're getting a smart display, a smart home hub, a video calling device, and a decent kitchen speaker all in one package. The Google Nest Hub 2nd Gen at $99.99 is cheaper but lacks a camera and hub functionality. The Echo Show 10 at $249.99 adds a rotating screen but doesn't justify the $100 premium for most people.
The built-in Zigbee/Thread/Matter hub alone would cost $30-50 as a standalone device, which makes the Echo Show 8's total package even more compelling. If you're starting a smart home from scratch, this is genuinely one of the best entry points — you get a controller, a hub, and an entertainment device without buying three separate products.
Amazon frequently discounts the Echo Show 8 to $99.99 during Prime Day and holiday sales, at which point it becomes an absolute no-brainer. Even at full price, the combination of features per dollar is hard to beat in the smart display category. Just factor in that you'll probably want an Alexa subscription for some premium features down the line.
Pros
- Built-in Zigbee, Thread, and Matter hub eliminates the need for separate hub devices
- Centered 13MP camera dramatically improves video call framing and quality
- $149.99 price point delivers exceptional value for a display, hub, and speaker combo
- Spatial audio produces surprisingly full sound for a device this compact
- Physical camera shutter provides real privacy with a satisfying mechanical slide
Cons
- Alexa app is cluttered and smart home automation setup is tedious compared to competitors
- Adaptive Content proximity feature is inconsistent and feels more like a tech demo
- Matter hub support still lags behind Apple and Google in device category coverage
Final Grade
The Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) is the Goldilocks of smart displays — the right size, the right price, and now with the right smart home hub features to make it a legitimate centerpiece for an Alexa-based smart home. The centered 13MP camera and spatial audio are meaningful upgrades, and the built-in Zigbee/Thread/Matter support adds genuine utility beyond what previous generations offered.
It's held back by Alexa's still-clunky smart home management interface and the somewhat gimmicky Adaptive Content feature. But at $149.99 — and frequently less on sale — this is the smart display we'd recommend to most people looking to add a screen-based assistant to their kitchen, bedroom, or office. If you're in the Alexa ecosystem, it's an easy upgrade.
Setup & Troubleshooting Guides
- How to Set Up Your Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) Installation
- Amazon Echo Not Responding to Alexa Voice Commands Troubleshooting
- Amazon Echo Won't Connect to WiFi Network Troubleshooting