A new version of Amazon’s mid-sized Echo Show display will be getting a big audio boost, as well as a hub for Matter devices, an edge-to-edge glass design, and an on-screen interface that scales depending on how close or far away you are.
Slated to ship next month and priced at $149.99, the third-generation Echo Show 8 comes with a completely revamped audio system that includes a pair of angled tweeters and (what appears to be) a passive radiator for bass.
We’re also talking spatial audio (although there was no specific mention of Dolby Atmos during the presentation), along with an automatic room calibration feature that adjusts the audio according to the acoustics in the room.
The Echo Show 8 will also be getting a smart home hub, a feature that was previously relegated to the Echo Show 10 and the flagship Echo speaker.
Amazon didn’t offer many details about the home hub, such as whether it will offer Zigbee connectivity. But Matter did get a call-out, suggesting that the new Echo Show 8 will act as a Thread border router for Matter devices.
Also new for the Echo Show 8 will be an edge-to-edge glass screen–but more interestingly, the on-screen interface will be able to dynamically resize itself depending on your proximity to the device, using the built-in (and newly centered) camera and motion sensors to detect your position.
Amazon
That means certain interface elements (or “adaptive content,” as Amazon calls it) will become larger as you move away, or become smaller but add more detail (along with touch-enabled elements) as you approach.
Amazon also promises that Alexa will answer 40 percent more quickly on the Echo Show 8 thanks to a new spoken language understanding model that runs locally on the display.
