The Echo line has a new family member. Amazon has unveiled the Echo Show 5 – and no, it isn’t the fifth iteration of the Echo Show. The Echo Show 5 is a smaller 5.5-inch version of the Echo Show. The size pits it firmly up against the Google Nest Hub in the battle for small screen smart assistant supremacy.
The Echo Show 5 looks quite familiar if you’re acquainted with the Echo Show, but it does come with a couple of new features. The Echo Show 5 is priced at £79.99 ($89.99) and is slated to be released on June 26.
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Along with a 5.5-inch display, the Echo Show 5 packs a HD camera.
It’s in the camera department where the Echo Show 5 has its most interesting feature. Amazon has clearly taken on board privacy-related criticism when it comes to its smart home devices.
As a consequence, Amazon has made the Echo Show 5 its first device to have a built-in camera cover. The physical camera cover gives users peace of mind about whether Amazon may or may not be spying on them.
The privacy features don’t end with the camera, however. A physical microphone switch is also present, as well as visual indicators which appear whenever the Echo Show 5 is sending audio or video to the cloud.
Another new feature lets users delete voice recordings made by an Echo by issuing a simple command.
“Alexa, delete what I just said” and “Alexa, delete everything I said today” are just two of the commands to address your data collection worries. Amazon has also introduced a Privacy Hub to help you manage your information across all of your Echo devices.
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The Echo Show 5 can do everything the bigger Echo Show can. Like the Echo Show, you can read recipes, watch Prime Video, listen to Spotify and issue a whole range of commands to Alexa. Unfortunately, you still can’t get YouTube on Echo devices – a feature that’s definitely missed on this handy device.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
