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Introducing Amazon Echo Hub | 8” smart home control panel with Alexa | Compatible with thousands of devices

3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 586 ratings

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This product has sustainability features recognized by trusted certifications.

Carbon impact

Carbon emissions from the lifecycle of this product were reduced compared to similar products or previous models.

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The Reducing CO2 label applies to products certified by the Carbon Trust, that are lowering their carbon emissions year after year for the full lifecycle of the product. The Carbon Trust was formed in 2001 and introduced the world’s first carbon label in 2007. It produces its certifications to global leading and independently verified standards. The Carbon Trust has a mission to accelerate the move to a sustainable, low carbon economy.

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Purchase options and add-ons

  • Introducing Echo Hub — An easy-to-use Alexa-enabled control panel for your smart home devices—just ask Alexa or tap the display to control lights, smart plugs, camera feeds, and more.
  • Streamline your smart home — Customize the controls and widgets, displayed on your dashboard to quickly adjust devices, view cameras, start routines, and more.
  • Works with thousands of Alexa compatible devices — Compatible with thousands of connected locks, thermostats, speakers, and more. WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Matter, Sidewalk and Thread devices sync seamlessly with the built-in smart home hub.
  • Home security at your fingertips — Use the Echo Hub to arm and disarm your compatible security system. Use the Alexa app and compatible cameras, locks, alarms, and sensors to check in while you're out.
  • Easy to install — Echo Hub can be wall mounted anywhere you have an outlet. Use in-wall cable pass throughs or a power-over-ethernet adapter (both sold separately) to hide cables. Also compatible with table-top stand (sold separately).
  • Play your music everywhere — Connect your preferred speaker to Echo Hub to play music, audiobooks, and podcasts in any room.
  • 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 off button.
  • Designed for sustainability – This device is made from 27% recycled materials. 97% of this device packaging is made of wood fiber-based materials from responsibly managed forests or recycled sources.
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Smart home control made easy

Manage your entire smart home with one easy-to-use control panel—
for a custom smart home at a smart value.

Customize to see
what matters most

Choose the widgets and controls displayed on your
dashboard so you can quickly adjust lights, see cameras,
arm security systems, play music, or start routines—
like a one-tap routine that locks the doors, dims the lights,
and adjusts the thermostat.

One hub. Endless possibilities.

“Alexa, discover my devices.”

Echo Hub works with thousands of connected cameras, lights, locks, plugs, thermostats, speakers, and more—bringing your smart devices together in one convenient hub.

WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Sidewalk, Thread, and Matter devices sync seamlessly with the built-in smart home hub, allowing you to control compatible devices, even if your internet is down.

Ring
Ring
Blink
Philips hue
Sengled
Yale
Honeywell Home
iRobot
Ptp-link

Works with thousands of Alexa compatible devices

person holding a cell phone in portrait mode looking at living room Ring camera

Peace of mind,
any time

Alt text Use the Echo Hub to arm and disarm your compatible security system, or create a routine in your Alexa app to lock the doors, arm security alarms, and turn off lights. You can also use the Alexa app to check in on your home while you're away.

Elevate your everyday

Helpful Widgets

Stay on track with customizable widgets for your calendar, reminders, and lists.

Just Ask Alexa

Ask Alexa to order groceries, find a recipe, set reminders, and more.

See your photos

The vibrant 8” display lets you show off your favorite photos when not in use.

Pair. Play. Enjoy.

 In the foreground, an Echo Hub on a wall showing two playlists. In the background a couple grabbing snacks next to an Echo Studio.

Designed to protect your privacy

Echo Hub is built with multiple layers of privacy protection. From the mic off button to the ability to delete your voice recordings, you have transparency and control over your Alexa experience. Echo Hub also supports the ability to securely view your end-to-end encrypted Ring video (coming soon). Learn more about how Alexa and Echo devices work.

close up of the upper right corner of the Echo Hub showing the Mute button.

Easy to set up and install

Option 1

Use included wall bracket to mount near an outlet.

Option 2

Use in-wall cable pass-throughs
(sold separately) to hide cords.

Option 3

Connect with a compatible
power-over-ethernet adapter
(sold separately).

Option 4

Place in the compatible stand
(sold separately).

For help with installation and other topics, please visit the Device Help page

Designed for sustainability

We measure this device's carbon footprint and look for opportunities to reduce its emissions at every stage of its life cycle. Figures are for Echo Hub, not including any other versions or any bundled accessories or devices. We update the carbon footprint when we discover new information that changes the estimated carbon footprint of a device by more than 5%.

See Echo Hub fact sheet

Carbon Footprint

Compare similar devices

Price From: $179.99 From: $149.99 From: -
Ratings 3.8 out of 5 stars (586) 4.5 out of 5 stars (9,630) 4.5 out of 5 stars (18,194)
Alexa Built In check mark check mark check mark
Ideal Placement On-wall or tabletop. Best placed in Hallways, Entryways, or Open living spaces Kitchen, living room, or open living spaces Kitchen
Release Year 2024 2023 2021
Advanced smart home controls check mark - -
Built in Zigbee smart home hub check mark check mark -
Smart home dedicated home screen check mark - -
Screen 8" with 1280 x 800 resolution 8.0" with 1280 x 800 resolution 15.6" with 1920 x 1080 resolution
Speakers Dual stereo speakers. Best paired with compatible speakers for whole home audio 2x2.0" neodymium stereo speakers with passive bass radiator 2x1.6"
Camera - 13 MP with auto-framing 5 MP
Best For The customizable hub of your smart home Table top HD smart display with spatial audio Full HD smart display with Fire TV built in
Power Over Ethernet Compatible check mark - -
Wall Mountable check mark - check mark
Microphone Arrays 4 4 6
Dimensions 7.9"W x 5.4"H x 0.6"D 7.9"W x 5.4"H x 3.9"D 15.5"W x 9.9"H x 1.4"D

Technical details

Echo Hub

Echo Hub

Power requirements

Compatible with alternative USB-C PD power accessories. Power supply must comply with USB PD protocol and support both 5V/2.4A and 9V/3A ratings.

Power over Ethernet

Supports PoE with compatible USB-C converter. Requires IEEE 802.3at/PoE+/Type2 or IEEE 802.3bt /PoE++/Type 3 support.

Included in the box

Echo Hub, power adapter (12.5W) and 6 ft. (1.8m) cord (white), wall mount, anchors, screws, mounting template, and quick start guide. Setup requires internet via wifi or ethernet. Device can be wall mounted (electric drill required) or placed on a stand (sold separately). Device not intended for handheld or portable use.

Display

8” touch screen with 1280 x 800 resolution

Audio

Pair of top ported full range speakers, with stereo playback

Sensors

Passive infrared (PIR) sensor for proximity detection, ambient light sensor (ALS)

Wifi connectivity

Dual-band wifi supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac wifi networks. Does not support connecting to ad-hoc or peer-to-peer wifi networks.

Bluetooth connectivity

Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) support for audio streaming from your mobile device to Echo Hub or from Echo Hub to your Bluetooth speaker. Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) for voice control of connected Bluetooth speakers. Hands-Free Profile (HFP) not supported. Bluetooth speakers requiring PIN codes not supported.

Smart Home Device Compatibility

Compatible with WiFi and Bluetooth Low Energy Mesh devices, as well as Zigbee, Thread, and Matter devices as a controller only. Visit the help page to troubleshoot compatible devices.

Amazon Sidewalk

A shared network that helps compatible devices work better at home and beyond the front door. If wifi is lost, Sidewalk enables certain devices to stay connected. Also, Sidewalk helps devices like water sprinklers and pet locators work over longer distances. Sidewalk uses a small portion of your internet bandwidth to provide these benefits to you and your neighbors via Sidewalk Bridges (participating Echo and Ring devices), and is turned on for your device unless you have previously turned off the setting. You can turn off Sidewalk at any time. Learn more about Sidewalk.

System requirements

Echo Hub comes ready to connect to your internet via wifi or ethernet. The Alexa app is compatible with Fire OS, Android, and iOS devices and also accessible via your web browser. Supported operating systems.

Set up technology

Amazon WiFi simple setup enables customers to connect smart devices to their wifi network in a few easy steps. WiFi simple setup is another way Alexa is always getting smarter. Learn more about Frustration-Free Setup.

Processor

MediaTek MT 8169 A

Size

7.9"W x 5.4"H x 0.6"D (202 mm x 137mm x 15mm)

Weight

12.9 ounces (365 grams). Actual size and weight may vary by manufacturing process.

Warranty and service

1-year limited warranty and service included. Optional 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year extended warranty available for U.S. customers sold separately. Use of Echo Hub is subject to these terms found here.

Privacy features

Wake word technology, streaming indicators, microphone off button, the ability to view and delete your voice recordings, support for Ring’s End-to-End Encryption feature that provides End-to-End Encrypted Ring video (coming soon) on your Echo Hub, and more. Visit the Alexa Privacy Hub to explore how Alexa and Echo devices are designed to protect your privacy.

Accessibility features

To enable features that personalize Alexa to your abilities, go to Settings → Accessibility.
Tap to Alexa enables access to Alexa via touch, instead of speech, through on-screen tiles or a keyboard, including the ability to save your favorite actions.
Adaptive Listening provides customers more time to finish speaking before Alexa responds.
Preferred Speaking Rate enables customers to control how fast or slow Alexa speaks.
Alexa Captioning, Call Captioning, and Closed Captioning provide text captions in any mode for supported content.
VoiceView screen reader enables access for customers who are blind or visually impaired.
Screen Magnifier enables customers to zoom in/out, and pan around the screen.
Notify When Nearby will play notification sounds when you’re detected near your Echo device.
Kindle Read Aloud will have Alexa read your Kindle books aloud.
Real Time Text enables customers to type live text in a video call.
Alexa Accessibility features also include settings for Color Inversion, Color Correction, Request Sound and more.

Language

Alexa speaks English and Spanish.

Alexa Skills and features

Alexa makes your life easier, more meaningful, and more fun by letting you voice control your world. Alexa can help you get more out of the things you already love and discover new possibilities you've never imagined. Discover and learn what Alexa can do.

Software Security Updates

This device receives guaranteed software security updates until at least four years after the device is last available for purchase as a new unit on our websites. Learn more about these software security updates. If you already own an Amazon Echo, visit Manage Your Content and Devices for information specific to your device.

Service Availability

Certain services and skills are subject to change or withdrawal at any time, may not be available in all areas and languages, and may require compatible devices. Certain skills and services may require subscription or other fees.

Sustainability features

Sustainability features

This product has sustainability features recognized by trusted certifications.

Carbon impact

Carbon emissions from the lifecycle of this product were reduced compared to similar products or previous models.

As certified by
Reducing CO2
Reducing CO2 Reducing CO2

The Reducing CO2 label applies to products certified by the Carbon Trust, that are lowering their carbon emissions year after year for the full lifecycle of the product. The Carbon Trust was formed in 2001 and introduced the world’s first carbon label in 2007. It produces its certifications to global leading and independently verified standards. The Carbon Trust has a mission to accelerate the move to a sustainable, low carbon economy.

Learn more about this certification

Looking for specific info?

Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
586 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the digital device easy to use. They mention it makes the task incredibly easy, and the setup is easy. However, some customers have reported that the screen sometimes lags in responsiveness and the alerts are delayed at times. They also dislike the power. Opinions are mixed on functionality, build quality, screen size, value for money, and connectivity.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

40 customers mention "Ease of use"37 positive3 negative

Customers find the digital device easy to use. They mention it works well as a hub, connects to their smart home devices straightforwardly, and provides a one-stop shop for all their devices.

"...of the Echo Hub, they marvel at it’s capabilities, power, and ease of use. Go figure...." Read more

"...Easy to install, Compatible with Alexa smart devices, pairing has been easy and straightforward...." Read more

"...The setup was quite quick due to the fact that I have other Echo products around the house so it basically auto-provisioned...." Read more

"...real benefit is that my wife enjoys using it as it has been easy for her to utilize where as she does not like my custom dashboards I have put..." Read more

83 customers mention "Functionality"38 positive45 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the functionality of the digital device. Some mention it works well overall, the proximity sensor works great, and the speaker works good. However, others say it doesn't provide sufficient functionality to justify it over the Echo Show 15, fails to respond to simple commands like "Alexa, set a timer for X minutes", and when the device is in idle mode doesn't work.

"...Managing your device settings. This does a poor job. Your phone can do better...." Read more

"...It’s good hardware and works well, but it’s hindered by the fact they are dumbing it down so the most basic user can operate it and not allowing for..." Read more

"...- and has - the potential to be this device, but it is completely lacking in capability, customization, and next level function...." Read more

"...Sound quality of the device is good for the size. Proximity sensor works great...." Read more

58 customers mention "Build quality"25 positive33 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the build quality of the digital device. Some mention it has good hardware and the UI seems pretty good, while others say it's disappointingly unreliable and buggy.

"...Speakers. This isn't it. The sound isn't awful but it's not great, and you should only use this as a supplement to other speakers you already..." Read more

"...It’s good hardware and works well, but it’s hindered by the fact they are dumbing it down so the most basic user can operate it and not allowing for..." Read more

"...It's very buggy and unreliable. I like the idea and would like to be able to get a device like this that actually works...." Read more

"...Overall, this is a good first start on a hub. I hope more integrations will be coming...." Read more

36 customers mention "Screen size"11 positive25 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the screen size of the digital device. Some mention it fits perfectly against the back of the Hub without any annoying bends, while others say it's too small for their main hub interface and the layout of the panel is small.

"...8 inches is too small.” Well, you ordered an 8” device, you colossal idiot...." Read more

"...It's like a $30 no-name android tablet.-The icons are big and few can fit on the screen...." Read more

"...First it is convenient footprint. Been using a Show8 and this is betterIt allows me to control my 97 wireless devices when COMCAST is down...." Read more

"...wall to connect an outlet from a close-by light switch, but the echo hub is so small that the edges of the recessed electrical box would show...." Read more

26 customers mention "Value for money"9 positive17 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the value for money of the digital device. Some mention it's a great value for the money, while others say it's not really worth the price, has an expensive LCD screen that doesn't work as expected, and is overpriced.

"...IF YOU HAVE SMART DEVICESWithout these, this is just an overpriced and very bad tablet...." Read more

"...the ECHO Hub solution makes the task incredibly easy to do this at a low cost and consistently across the house = I really do love this thing, it..." Read more

"...When it finally dropped, it fell short of my lofty expectations, so…complain, complain and slam it in the reviews...." Read more

"...(Otherwise, it's still an overpriced wall mounted tablet)...." Read more

25 customers mention "Connectivity"9 positive16 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the connectivity of the digital device. Some mention it integrates flawlessly with Ring, while others say devices wouldn't connect and power connectivity could be easily improved.

"...In summary, power connectivity could be easily improved including a rechargeable battery as any tablet, so generic low-voltage cables (5V or 9V)..." Read more

"I bought one of these. It connected okay and found the devices I already had connected to Alexa. All well and good so far...." Read more

"...The worst part of this is that it’s not really a hub because you can’t use this to add or configure your smart home in any way that the other echo..." Read more

"...However, I did not see any integration with Ring sensors (i.e. window/door open or closed, or when there was a change)...." Read more

56 customers mention "Slackness"3 positive53 negative

Customers are dissatisfied with the slackness of the digital device. They mention that the screen sometimes lags in responsiveness, the UI is very laggy, and there's a significant delay in showing Eufy camera feeds. They also say the alerts are delayed at times and the cameras take a bit to load.

"...Cameras take a bit to load but they also do that on the apps in any case. It'll only get better from here.The Cost:..." Read more

"...The wrong combination might take hours (and lots of swearing) to reset back to “normal” operation...." Read more

"...At times the UI can be a little slow to respond. Maybe it's a service call to the cloud to get the instructions...I'm not sure...." Read more

"...but sometimes the buttons don’t do anything when clicked or the camera times out...." Read more

26 customers mention "Power"3 positive23 negative

Customers are dissatisfied with the power of the digital device. They mention it has a distinct lack of power options, and the CPU is underpowered. Customers also say the hub has no battery power and the power supply provided is inadequate.

"...The screen is so sluggish, that it must be an under powered CPU, not just bad programming...." Read more

"...However, when I connected it showed an error due to "not enough power"...." Read more

"...The CPU is a little under-powered to be supporting gestures and stuff, but still way faster than the horribly under-powered CPU on the Echo Show 5..." Read more

"...Main drawback is that it does not have a battery, but if you think about it, what would it do when the power is out?..." Read more

Overpriced but performs well and looks great
4 out of 5 stars
Overpriced but performs well and looks great
TL;DR -- It's an Amazon product, so it's best used with Amazon or Amazon-compatible smart home products. You can get around it by using things like Home Assistant but that's overkill for most. The touch screen can lag behind just a little bit, but I haven't seen any major jitters. No ads as well is a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuge plus. All in all, gorgeous device and I'm thinking about getting 3 or 4 more, even with their current limitations.First things first: As others have mentioned, this is *not* a product for people who have only a few smart home devices, nor is it a product for people who don't use Alexa to control their smart home (With caveats, read below). I have smart locks, a Ring alarm, switches, outlets, lights, TVs, vacuums, printers, speakers, fans, etc. Pretty much every accessory you can think of (40+ smart home appliances and counting). This doesn't include sensors which exponentially grow the number of devices in my home.I purchased this at Lowe's (Not Amazon, but figured I'd review here since most people will see it here), and immediately set it up. *Most* of my smart home products are compatible with all three major platforms, and they have to be because I own all three major platforms. The setup was quite quick due to the fact that I have other Echo products around the house so it basically auto-provisioned.After provisioning, it was basically done. The first thing I immediately noticed with this product is the fact that it has 0 ads on it. None. Not a single ad to be found in the entire product. That alone honestly justifies the price for me (Otherwise, it's still an overpriced wall mounted tablet). I moved around the tiles on the screen to where I wanted them and that was that. The CPU is a little under-powered to be supporting gestures and stuff, but still way faster than the horribly under-powered CPU on the Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen, 2021 release).The buttons work really well and it's pretty smooth when it comes to actually performing actions. If you have 4 or more cameras, then tapping the camera tile will bring up the first four in a grid, kind of like a multiview, and you can view the rest with a second tap. It's also a Ring security panel, so it's really nice to use for your alarm if you wanted to. However, something that can be annoying is the proximity sensor is VERY sensitive. If you're anywhere remotely close to it (This is mounted across from the chase on my couch) it will never go to sleep. So, pretty much all the time the screen is on. I could turn off the proximity sensor, but then I'd have to tap to wake it and I don't like that. I'd rather have a setting to lower the range that will trigger the sensor to wake the device, but that's a minor gripe.Now, here's where I went overkill. I do have some products that didn't support Alexa (My door lock and my Unifi Protect security cameras). I ended up using Home Assistant to get them added to to Alexa, and they work pretty close to natively. However, using Home Assistant is not for most people, and if you're 90% of the population who doesn't go overboard with smart home stuff, then I'd say just purchase this with the intent of sticking to products compatible with all your systems (Again, I have Google Nest, HomeKit, and Alexa, so I need products to work in harmony with all three).
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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2024
Configuration: Device onlyVerified Purchase
This is an amazing little smart home hub. Definitely a must get for anyone invested in the Amazon ecosystem. Easy to install, Compatible with Alexa smart devices, pairing has been easy and straightforward.

At times the UI can be a little slow to respond. Maybe it's a service call to the cloud to get the instructions...I'm not sure. I also find myself saying Alexa's name more than once to get her attention compared to how quickly she responds on other Echo devices. There are also some smart devices that are Alexa compatible in the app that do not show up on the hub. One example is the smoke alarm that I have through Kidde. The sensor is in the app and I can ask Alexa questions about it but it doesn't show up on the hub. Not sure if this applies to all sensors like motion or carbon dioxide things like that, but all I can tell you is that the smoke alarm that I have is not showing up in the Echo hub.

Overall though it's a this is a great beginning to a device that was very much needed to manage the modern smart home. Looking forward to future updates to streamline the UI as well as adding additional smart home accessories that can be paired with it.
Customer image
5.0 out of 5 stars Best Hub For Alexa Smart Homes!
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2024
This is an amazing little smart home hub. Definitely a must get for anyone invested in the Amazon ecosystem. Easy to install, Compatible with Alexa smart devices, pairing has been easy and straightforward.

At times the UI can be a little slow to respond. Maybe it's a service call to the cloud to get the instructions...I'm not sure. I also find myself saying Alexa's name more than once to get her attention compared to how quickly she responds on other Echo devices. There are also some smart devices that are Alexa compatible in the app that do not show up on the hub. One example is the smoke alarm that I have through Kidde. The sensor is in the app and I can ask Alexa questions about it but it doesn't show up on the hub. Not sure if this applies to all sensors like motion or carbon dioxide things like that, but all I can tell you is that the smoke alarm that I have is not showing up in the Echo hub.

Overall though it's a this is a great beginning to a device that was very much needed to manage the modern smart home. Looking forward to future updates to streamline the UI as well as adding additional smart home accessories that can be paired with it.
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22 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2024
Configuration: Device onlyVerified Purchase
Okay, lets get the obvious out of the way. Is the Echo Hub what it could be, should be, or will be? That’s a big NO!

Is it what it is?, Yes, and that seems to be what people are missing. Almost without exception the early purchasers of the Hub are the techies that have already automated part or all of their home using some combination of devices that include the Amazon ecosystem. They are intimate with every function, switch, routine, and process. They can almost Grunt and their home responds.

Each of the early adopters were looking for a Next-Level panel control. It’s true, the current options, including converting various tablets for wall mount and cobbling together various shortcuts and apps to “act” as a central hub are lacking. Woefully so. Worse, is using the wide variety of apps on a phone or tablet to run their operation. My own system has devices from 8 manufacturers, each happily pushing their own app at me. It’s a pain for me, and impossible for my spouse.

The Echo Hub had - and has - the potential to be this device, but it is completely lacking in capability, customization, and next level function. So to almost every reviewer, it falls woefully short of their expectations.

I get it…kind of. See, I’m that guy too, and had high expectations that this was next-level tech that would boost my Smarthome to the next level. I hit the product page at least weekly for the last four months, eagerly anticipating it going live. When it finally dropped, it fell short of my lofty expectations, so…complain, complain and slam it in the reviews.

Okay, we know what it isn’t.

HOWEVER, let's look at what it is. I am the master of my Smarthome domain, and can grunt and have my home respond. It’s Awesome…. for me. But my spouse has to yell from the back porch to have me turn on the yard lights. House guests use the bathroom nearly dark, because they don’t understand my next level lighting routines. House-sitters won’t come back because they couldn’t turn off the music, and on the TV.

My home has inadvertently become the coffee table full of remotes from yesteryear where only a precise combinations of buttons would result in the TV playing the source, and audio that was desired. The wrong combination might take hours (and lots of swearing) to reset back to “normal” operation. I get it, but it’s a mystery to everyone else.

So the Echo Hub is band-aid that really isn’t for me, or most of its initial purchasers & reviewers. It’s actually for my spouse, house guests, and visitors. It lets them interact with my Smarthome creation and be empowered to control their environment. Not only do they not notice the inherent limitations of the Echo Hub, they marvel at it’s capabilities, power, and ease of use. Go figure.

It will force me to get better at groups, routines, and favorites in the Alexa ecosystem, and I’d say in about a week I’ll have it fully tuned, FOR THEM!, Not me.

So, once I got over my own disappointment, I realized that while what I wanted at this juncture, it’s what I needed. Not next level, but empowering additional users to interact with this level and the current capabilities of my home.

I’m disappointed, I expected more, and I’ll take two more please.

Lastly, I want to address a couple of other common complaints.
“8 inches is too small.” Well, you ordered an 8” device, you colossal idiot. That’s like buying a 6-pack and complaining that there aren’t 7 bottles. It is what it is - precisely what it was advertised to be.

“Its too expensive.” Amazon has spoiled us by having advertising support the actual hardware costs of development and manufacturing of all their devices to date. Most reports indicate that the Alexa division inside Amazon is under-performing and not overly profitable. Thats kind of what you get when you sell a $24 Echo Dot, which is a marvel at voice recognition and cloud powered user response, and then wager I’ll order tons of stuff from Amazon via that portal. I won’t. (Ever? Nope. I would never order a single thing by voice. We’ve all seen the Amazon product listings that show 1 item for $14 and 2 for only $43. If listings ever become less deceptive…maybe. But it’s a hard NO for now.)

The Echo Hub has no advertising, so far. This means the device has to sell for development costs, plus manufacturing costs plus margin. You know, the traditional business model of a product. While it is costly for an Amazon device, a similar product from Apple would run $750 - $1,000. Get over it. Boggles my mind that people pay an amount, and then complain about the amount when the purchasing is entirely within their control. Just return it.

“The speakers suck.” This is interesting. When playing around with the device, I accidentally figured out how to watch a video, and I have to admit that I thought the sound sounded decent. Not noticeably better or worse than the Ipad Mini, of approximately the same screen size. However, the Echo Hub is essentially a remote control for other people to interact with your smart home. Best speakers on a remote control that I’ve ever heard. The people complaining about the speakers no doubt have awesome speakers, surround systems, and audio throughout their home, they and others can now initiate music on those devices via the Hub. Frankly I couldn’t care less about the speaker quality on a wall mounted 8” screen. If I’m ever standing in a hallway, facing an 8” screen and watching a movie, SHOOT ME!

Again, I understand why people are underwhelmed. The Echo Hub isn’t what it could be, should be, or likely will be. Just admit it right now, it’s not for you. But it’s a wonderful gift to your spouse, roommates, house guests, etc. who are frustrated by YOUR Smarthome. Maybe they’ll like it enough to actually encourage you to purchase the next level device when it drops.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2024
Configuration: Device onlyVerified Purchase
Originally I was going to maybe rate this 4 stars, but honestly, this is EXACTLY what I've been looking for and nothing even comes remotely close to it, so I'll go ahead and list everything it does great, followed by what needs improvements, and finally what you should NOT purchase this for... and at the end I'll go over the "general" stuff like screen and sound.

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO PULL OUT YOUR PHONE & GO TO ALEXA APP

This is honestly the only reason you should be buying this. Because you can already do everything and more directly on the Alexa app on your phone. So you need to (a) see yourself using the Alexa app a lot, and (b) wish you had it on your wall.

IF YOU HAVE SMART DEVICES

Without these, this is just an overpriced and very bad tablet. Maybe you want to control a few devices around your house like your lights, look at the front door camera. If your requirements aren't too specific with these and you just are willing to take what you can get, then this is it.

IF YOU HAVE MULTIPLE OTHER ALEXA SPEAKERS

This really does help bring them together, because you now have a screen, although you might save some money if you get one of the other Echo Show devices. It's cool to have it up on the wall, be able to again, not use your phone, not pull out some tablet, to change songs.

IF YOU WANT A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF SECURITY & THERMOSTAT

This will display your Ring alarm status, let you arm and disarm it, and see what your thermostat is set to from another location across the house (I wouldn't recommend putting them side by side, that's a waste.)

IF YOU WANT YOUR HOME TO FEEL "MODERN" SMART

This reminds me of things I've seen at high-end hotels. It's just cool to have a touchscreen tablet on the wall, and be able to adjust some lights, play music, adjust the temperature.

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DO >>NOT<< BUY FOR:

1) Managing your device settings. This does a poor job. Your phone can do better. This should only be there to access frequently used devices you've already set up but don't want to navigate through your phone to access.

2) Speakers. This isn't it. The sound isn't awful but it's not great, and you should only use this as a supplement to other speakers you already have in your home.

3) Watching videos. Don't do it. I know you might think it'll be nice to put this in the kitchen and watch something while you cook, just get some other display or tablet.

4) Controlling everything. This kind of ties into #1 above but this should only be set it and forget it, quickly click what you can fit on the screen, and overview of your devices per room. Don't spend a lot of time navigating around. Just get any other tablet at that point.

5) Highly specific apps. The apps on it are lackluster. Have some really cool specific idea? You won't be able to do it or it'll end up being bad. You likely won't be able to do exactly what you want, only as I mentioned very very very basic things.

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THE REALLY BAD, DEFINITELY DON'T BUY:

1) Device groups. Currently not supported. If you "favorite" a group of smart devices, it doesn't display it and you can pretty much only do one device at a time, with the "group" being the entire group like "Living Room." This was almost a deal-breaker for me, hopefully they add it later, but I've since found some workarounds for me specific use case. But I wanted to group four mart lights in a room, per room, and have it all display under favorites and could not do that.

2) Smooth tablet experience. Nope, this is going to feel like a really cheap tablet because it is a really cheap tablet. You're going to have to be patient and wait one second or maybe even two for some things, and you'll see it stutter once in a while. This is still miles better than anything else like it that's meant to go on your wall. But probably one of the worst if you're comparing it to an iPad or high-end Samsung tablet.

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The Screen:

Feels like a really cheap tablet, but they make it work for what it is. The size could have been bigger but honestly then it'd look weird and not like a wall panel. I like it, I just wish there was some more customizability (there isn't really.)

The Audio:

Again, feels like a really cheap tablet or laptop.

The Design:

Works out for being wall-mounted. I like the big bezel.

Portability:

No. Almost none. Do not expect to unplug this and move it around.

The Software:

Needs some work but it's not as terrible as people make it out to be. I've noticed a few minor bugs like arming my Ring if a device needs a bypass gets it stuck with no error, just loading. Smart thermostat (Nest) if you try to set it to let's say 72 to 73, it will error out vaguely when you should remember that you need a bigger gap between the low and high number. Cameras take a bit to load but they also do that on the apps in any case. It'll only get better from here.

The Cost:

I wish it would have been closer to $100, but hey, I bought it at full price because I saw the value. If you do not see the value, do not buy it, you'll be disappointed. This is the type of product that's simultaneously worth $50 and $500.
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