The Best Smart Display for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
If your phone lives on your kitchen counter and tends to get splattered with stew, soups, or you just want an easier way to view photos or control smart devices, try a smart display – a combination of a smart speaker and a tablet. A smart display is great for streaming music and video or answering questions about the weather.
It is also great for calling up recipes that you can follow hands-free. We like the Amazon Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen) and the Google Nest Hub Max. Choose either model, based on your needs or your preference for Alexa or Google Assistant.
Things To Consider When Buying Smart Displays
Contents
Display size matters
A five-inch screen is ideal for nightstands and bathroom counters. For kitchens or offices opt for eight-inches or larger to aid distance viewing.
Privacy options
Smart displays let you turn off the camera and mute the microphone. We prefer models with a physical shutter.
Audio quality
While they can’t compete with higher-end speakers, smart displays should still fill the room they live in with clear audio.
Camera resolution
To ensure video calls are crisp and high quality, select a smart display with a high megapixel camera. Our picks range from two to 13 megapixels. (The Best Smart Display for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant)
1. The Amazon Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen)
The Amazon Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen) is easy to interact with, whether by voice or touch, thanks to its excellent on-screen menus and Alexa’s always-impressive conversational chops. Alexa-enabled Skills (Amazon’s term for the apps you control using voice) make the Show 8 compatible with the widest range of music services, smart-home devices, games, and entertaining features (like Jeopardy! trivia) of any smart-display ecosystem. It’s especially suited to engaging in video calls using Alexa’s built-in system (and now also Zoom), thanks to a 13-megapixel camera and special software that keeps you centered in the screen even when you move around. The Show 8 (2nd Gen)’s speaker produces clear audio and is powerful enough to fill a room. And its 8-inch touch display is big enough for comfortably viewing video from streaming services including Prime Video, Hulu, Netflix, and even YouTube (via Alexa’s built-in web browser, Amazon Silk). (The Best Smart Display for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant)
2. Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen, 2021 release) – Deep Sea Blue bundle with Blink Mini
- This bundle includes Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen, 2021 release) – Deep Sea Blue with Blink Mini.
- See your day clearly with Alexa at the ready – Set alarms and timers, check your calendar or the news, make video calls with the 2 MP camera, and stream music or shows – all with your voice.
- Add Alexa to your nightstand – Ease into the day with a routine that turns compatible lights on gradually. Or wake up to your news update, the weather forecast, and your favorite music.
- Manage your smart home – Look in when you’re away with the built-in camera. Control compatible devices like cameras, lights, and more using the interactive display, your voice, or your motion.
- Connect with video calling – Use the 2 MP camera to call friends and family who have the Alexa app or an Echo device with a screen. Make announcements to other compatible devices in your home.
- Be entertained – Ask Alexa to play TV shows and movies via Prime Video, Netflix, and more. Or stream favorites from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, and others.
- Put photos on (smart) display – Use Amazon Photos or Facebook to turn your home screen into a digital frame.
- Designed to protect your privacy – Amazon is not in the business of selling your personal information to others. Built with multiple layers of privacy controls including a mic/camera off button and a built-in camera shutter. (The Best Smart Display for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant)
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3. Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) | HD smart display with motion and Alexa | Glacier White
- Alexa can show you even more – With a 10.1″ HD screen that’s designed to move with you, video calls, recipes, and shows are always in view. The speakers deliver premium, directional sound.
- Stay in frame – Video call friends and family or take a picture while the 13 MP camera with auto-framing and motion keeps you front and center.
- Smart home made simple – Set up compatible Zigbee devices or smart products without a separate hub. Ask Alexa to show you security cameras, control lights, and adjust thermostats.
- Take a look around when you’re away – Securely access the built-in camera to remotely monitor your home anytime with the Alexa app or other Echo Show devices.
- So much entertainment – Ask Alexa to play your favorite shows, music, and podcasts from Prime Video, Netflix, Amazon Music, Spotify, and more.
- The ultimate kitchen companion – Get daily personalized recipes, cook along hands-free with step-by-step instructions, set timers, and add to your grocery list.
- Put your memories on display – Use Amazon Photos to turn your home screen into a digital frame that makes your favorite pics look great in any light with adaptive color.
- Designed to protect your privacy – Amazon is not in the business of selling your personal information to others. Built with multiple layers of privacy controls including a mic/camera off button and a built-in camera shutter. Disable motion at any time. (The Best Smart Display for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant)
