Should you buy the new Echo Spot or an Echo Show? We help you decide
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Amazon resurrected one of our favourite Echo speakers in July, with a new model of the Echo Spot. It’s been seven years since we saw the first Spot model arrive, ushering in the spherical shape that many other Echo speakers now offer, and five years since that model was discontinued.
The original Echo Spot arrived a couple of months after the original Echo Show, but the Echo Show line has been given a lot more love, with a range of size options on offer. If you’re wondering how the Echo Spot compares to the Echo Show, we have you covered.
We’ve compared it to the Echo Show 5 here because they both offer a small form factor, but it’s worth remembering there are 8-inch, 10-inch and 15-inch models. You can also read how the Echo Spot compares to the Echo Dot and how it compares to the Echo Pop in our separate comparison pieces.
Echo Spot vs Echo Show 5: Price
Let’s first talk about price shall we? The Echo Spot launched on July 8, 2024 and it currently has a launch price offer of $44.99 / £49.99 for Prime subscribers in celebration of Prime Day. The regular price is $79.99 / £79.99 however, so keep in mind that it will jump up when Prime Day – which takes place between July 16, 2024 and July 17, 2024 – is over.
The Echo Show 5 launched in September 2023, and it costs $89.99 / £89.99. It too has a Prime Day offer currently, which sees it cost $49.99 in the US. In the UK, the offer is currently buying two models for £108, though we wouldn’t be surprised to see its price drop for Prime Day too. Out of Prime Day sales however, the Echo Show 5 is slightly more expensive than the Echo Spot.
It’s worth mentioning the Echo Show 8 costs $149.99 / £149.99, the Echo Show 10 costs $249.99 / £259.99 and the Echo Show 15 costs $279.99 / £279.99, just so you know the price differences.
Echo Spot vs Echo Show 5: Design
The Echo Spot and the Echo Show 5 are pretty different in terms of design so there’s a good chance you will already have your preference. The Echo Spot has an angled front with a speaker grille on the bottom half and a small rectangular 2.83-inch display within the semi-circle on the top. The rear is spherical in shape with a plastic finish, not too dissimilar from the Echo Pop.
The Echo Show 5 meanwhile, has a 5.5-inch display on the front with a camera in the top right nestled into the bezels around the screen. The rear is tapered and the entire back makes up the speaker element of the device.
The Echo Spot is designed for bedrooms and small spaces, while the Echo Show 5 is designed for small kitchens, home offices and small spaces so they cater towards a similar area in the home. We’d choose the Echo Spot for a bedside table though, while the Echo Show 5 is the one we would pick out of these two devices for a kitchen.
The Echo Show 5 measures 147 x 82 x 91mm and weighs 456g, while the Echo Spot measures 113 x 103 x 111mm and weighs 405g. Both have built-in microphone off buttons, as well as volume controls, though the Echo Show 5 also has a camera privacy cover. The Echo Spot doesn’t have a camera like its predecessor so there’s no need for a privacy switch.
In terms of colour options, the Echo Show 5 comes in White, Cloud Blue and Charcoal. The Echo Spot comes in Black, Glacier White and Ocean Blue.
Echo Spot vs Echo Show 5: Sound quality
There’s a full range 1.73-inch speaker within the Echo Spot, while the Echo Show 5 offers a full range 1.75-inch speaker so there’s not a huge amount of difference in terms of size.
What might make a difference in terms of sound output however is the Echo Show 5 has more space for sound projection. We will need to review the Echo Spot before passing any judgement, but we are expecting the Echo Show 5 to be the slightly superior option in the sound department based on their designs.
Both speakers will respond to Alexa requests however, whilst also playing music from various streaming services, podcasts and audio books.
Echo Spot vs Echo Show 5: Alexa and smart home features
The beauty of Echo speakers is that while they all offer various designs, the Alexa fundamentals are the same across them all. You get a couple of extra features here and there on some of the devices, but a lot of the core features translate from the Echo Pop through to the Echo Hub.
Set up is nice and simple through the Alexa app, and both offer the ability to call other Alexa-enabled devices, get alerts from an Alexa-enabled doorbell or use Alexa Routines with compatible smart home products. You can also ask Alexa to add to a shopping list, find out a fact or get it to tell you a joke, alongside the usual stuff like playing music from compatible services.
Where these two devices differ slightly is that the Echo Show 5 has a camera for starters, which will allow you to drop in on your home through the Alexa app to see what is happening in the Show 5’s field of view. You can also see the feed from a Ring Video Doorbell or Ring Camera appear on your Echo Show 5 and put photos on the display. The built-in camera also allows for video calling so there’s quite a lot here.
The Echo Spot meanwhile, doesn’t offer features like showing your photos, video calling or showing your Ring camera feeds. You all get at a glance icons though, like reminders, weather and timers, as well as be able to see song titles and album covers. You can also personalise your Echo Spot by choosing your favourite clock face and display colour with six different themes.
Echo Spot vs Echo Show 5: Connectivity
When it comes to connectivity, both the Echo Show 5 and the Echo Spot operate over dual band, 2.4 and 5GHz Wi-Fi and both can act as Matter controllers.
Neither can be used as an Eero Wi-Fi extender like the Echo Pop however so that’s something to keep in mind.
Echo Spot vs Echo Show 5: Which is right for you?
The decision between the Echo Spot and the Echo Show 5 – or any of the other Echo Show models – will very much come down to what you are looking for from your Echo speaker. The Echo Spot is small, compact and it is perfect for a bedside device, offering the time, basic information like the weather and the ability to customise the clock face.
The Echo Show 5 has a few extra features over the Echo Spot, like being able to display your photos, video call loved ones and showing your Ring camera feeds. Their core functionalities are the same however, with both offering the Alexa experience you would expect, including controlling your smart home devices, streaming music and asking Alexa questions.
Figure out where you want to put the Echo Spot or Echo Show 5 and then decide whether the extra features the Show 5 has are appealing enough. If not, the Echo Spot looks very cute and it’s a great price at the moment too.
FAQs
No, the original Echo Spot from 2017 came with a camera but the new Echo Spot has ditched the camera so it’s just a screen and speaker.
