Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen, 2021 release) | HD smart display with Alexa and 13 MP camera | Glacier WhiteReducing CO2

Before ordering this one I already an echo show 8”, first gen. I was about to buy another one when I got an add saying that I could pre-order a second gen. I could not find a good comparison anywhere so I asked myself, should I pay 20$ more for an unknown. I did and spoiler alert, it is worth it, kinda.Positives:- The new camera features are great. The camera can track you and center you for video calls, real time, and it does it accurately.- Speaking of the camera, the camera upgrade is insane. Went from 1MP to 13MP.- The processor is supposed to be much more powerful. Looking at the new camera features, understanding where you are in a group of people and tracking you accordingly, it is noticeable. However, given that a lot of the actions on the device are web based, there is not a huge difference on other apps. The responsiveness of the touchscreen is perhaps a bit better but it was good to begin with.- The unit will go to low power mode when idle, helping you save a penny here and there…- Several privacy features. The stop listening button we have grown used to. The camera can be manually closed shut for privacy. When remote viewing through the show, there is a warning message, etc...Negatives:- Amazon did not learn from their mistakes. Just like with the Show 10”, the power cord is white for every unit, whether the unit is black or white. The camera shutter, is white too.- The 3.5 jack is gone.Other thoughts:The sound quality___One of the items on my wish list for this one was an improved audio quality. The sound quality improved over the previous gen, I think, but I would say its marginal if that, not enough to even be sure it did.The white cord___What I hate the most about my Echo Show 10 is the white cord on a black unit. Since I fell for it with the Show 10 and white would go well with my decor, I preemptively went for a white unit, to eliminate the eyesore, in case Amazon did not learn from their mistakes. To a certain extent, I was secretly hoping the cord would be black so I could swap it with my Show 10” and fix two problems with one move. Nope, its white.Even with a warning from me that it could happen, a friend went for the charcoal one and he is still fuming. So, if you are like me that the white cord on a black unit would drive you crazy, and you are going for it, order the white one.The environment___If you are still on the fence about this one, be aware that 2nd gen uses recycled materials on its manufacturing. To me this is a selling point._____________________________TLDR,1) If you use it a lot for video calls, the improved camera and improved camera features, makes it a worthy upgrade. If this is not your cup of tea, waiting for a prime day sale on a previous gen might be better.2) If having a white cord on a black unit is something that would drive you crazy, get the white one or go for the previous gen.Updated (JUNE2022): It appears that Amazon did learn from their mistakes. Another friend I warned about the cord, told me he didn’t really cared and went for the black one. Well, he got it with a black cord. Given that to me this was the worst negative, I just raised it one star.

I love my echo show 8. I also bought one for my mother that’s 97 years old after nearly losing her last year. She loves her independence at home. It helps keep her safe and up with the daily news and so much more. She loves listening to music as I do.Lately with all these Alexa commercials it changes my TV without even asking it to. When it hears the commercial say Alexa it will change the channel or do things like playing different songs.. I know they are trying to sell these especially during Christmas time but…I have to turn off the sound as you can see in the picture theres a red line on the bottom when I’m watching a show that I don’t want to be Interrupted, and that is a real problem also because I have them hooked to my Blink outdoor camera system. I have to turn the voice part off when I’m watching television because it’ll change my channels on my fire TV. If the one in the living room is off where I’m watching TV..the one in the kitchen always answers it when it hears the TV say Alexa. There’s got to be other ways for these commercials.Yes it has made a big positive difference in my life, A wonderful difference. I love listening to music, especially when I am cleaning house and I have it playing on all my devices at once, it’s like surround sound. I have one in every room of the house and so does my mother. It’s amazing. The connectivity is OK except when there’s bad weather and there is an internet outage, which we have often in Texas. It’s a little scary.It is very easy to use. I’ve even taught my mother how to use it and even taught her how to call for help if needed. She can even call me and I can see her face-to-face. This has helped her and her independence in staying home by herself. The picture quality is great. The voice recognition I really don’t know, it does respond to my grandchildren also. Which they love some of the games on it, especially playing against other users and naming a song title or artist. I’m not sure what it’s called. It has the perfect amount of brightness to it, and it’s easy to see.Thank you so much Amazon for this product. It has really saved my mom and I. Especially when I had a stranger try to break into my home. I had photos and videos to show the police. They did catch the ones responsible which was a big relief.Besides the Alexa commercials, I highly recommend it. It’s not like the Alexa commercials come on every hour or so. It’s almost every 15 or 20 minutes on live TV. Especially during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Please help change this.I am not changing my 5+ rating because it’s very worth it.!!! 🩷