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Smart speakers are popular, and for good reason: In addition to playing music, they can answer most questions you throw at them. But speakers are limited to telling you what you want rather than showing you. The concept of “show, don’t tell” is a fundamental rule for writers, and it’s also an important guideline for technology. If you want a voice assistant to also show you results and information, you need to take a step from smart speakers to smart displays.Smart displays are effectively smart speakers with touch screens. They offer the same hands-free voice assistant features, allowing you to play music, check the weather, and control your smart home devices with only your voice. But the screen adds a whole new level of information and control beyond what simple speakers offer. When you want to play music, for example, you can view album art or watch the song’s music video. When you want to check the weather, you can see upcoming temperatures and conditions for the week at a glance. When you want to control your smart lights, you can tap or slide your fingers to dim them to the preferred level.Since Amazon spearheaded the smart speaker concept with the first Echo, it only makes sense that the company did the same with smart displays in the form of its Echo Show products. And, like the Echo, the company has updated and expanded its lineup of smart displays with new models. It wasn’t long before other companies followed suit. Now, a range of smart displays is available, spanning two voice assistant platforms. We’ve gathered the top models we’ve tested here, along with a guide to each platform.
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen, 2023)
Best Overall
Why We Picked ItThe Amazon Echo Show 8 is a classic Goldilocks device, sitting in the middle of Amazon’s smart display lineup. It’s affordable but it has a big enough screen and powerful enough speakers to suit any living room, bedroom, or kitchen. It can get about as loud and sounds as good as the Echo speaker, but it also has an 8-inch screen for watching the news, taking video calls, and browsing recipes. The latest version is a bit pricier than its predecessor, but it offers expanded smart home control capabilities with support for Matter, Thread, and Zigbee. While its speaker drivers are unchanged, it manages to sound bigger with the help of spatial audio processing and automatic acoustic adjustments based on your room. Who It’s ForThe Echo Show 8 is an excellent first smart display or a centerpiece hub for Alexa users who don’t want to spend significantly more for the larger Echo Show 10 or Echo Show 15. It’s a solid coffee table, counter, or desk companion, and it can even work well on a nightstand.
PROS
Big sound with automatic acoustic adjustments
Loads of Alexa voice control features
High-resolution, auto-framing camera
Fast performance
Supports Matter, Thread, Zigbee
CONS
Limited bass response
Doesn’t function as an Eero mesh node
SPECS
Name
Value
Screen Size
8 inches
Screen Resolution
1,280 by 800 pixels
Voice Control
Amazon Alexa
Bluetooth
Physical Connections
None
Learn More
Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen, 2023) Review
Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen)
Best for Sleep Tracking
Why We Picked ItThe Nest Hub is Google’s equivalent to the Amazon Echo Show 8, but also fills the Echo Show 5’s niche. It’s a little smaller (with a 7-inch screen instead of an 8-inch screen) and cheaper ($100 instead of $150) than the Echo Show 8, which makes it a bit more nightstand-friendly. The device also monitors your breathing and movement at night to determine if you get enough sleep. The good news is that it doesn’t literally watch you; instead, it relies on microphones and motion sensors to track your shut-eye. The bad news is that it doesn’t have a camera at all, so you can’t make video calls with it.Who It’s ForIf you want a simple smart display with Google Assistant, this is the device to get. Its size and price make it work in any room of the house, even if its screen isn’t as large and its speaker isn’t as loud as that of the Echo Show 8.
PROS
Tracks sleep and breathing
Intuitive interface
Excellent smart home controls
Google Assistant responds quickly
Compact design
CONS
Might attribute co-sleeper’s coughing/snoring to you
No camera for video calls
SPECS
Name
Value
Screen Size
7 inches
Screen Resolution
1,024 by 600 pixels
Voice Control
Google Assistant
Bluetooth
Physical Connections
None
Learn More
Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen) Review
Amazon Echo Hub
Best Smart Home Control Panel
Why We Picked ItAs a smart display for enjoying media, the Echo Hub is just OK. That’s because it’s designed to be a smart home control panel rather than a conventional smart display. It has the same Alexa-powered core as the Echo Show 8, but it puts smart home device control front and center with an interface that’s much more friendly to touch controls than conventional smart displays. It’s also very thin, which makes it convenient for wall mounting.Who It’s ForThe Echo Hub is specifically for users who want a comprehensive smart home hub. It provides easy tap and swipe controls so you can manage your smart home devices without needing to rely on voice commands (though you can still use Alexa), and its sleek wall-mountable design means you can put it anywhere that’s convenient. It has tiny drivers that can’t produce loud or detailed audio and it lacks a camera for home monitoring or video calls, so you should look to other models on this list if you want a general-purpose smart display with those features.
PROS
Large, bright display
Fast, responsive Alexa voice support
Touch-friendly interface
SPECS
Name
Value
Screen Size
8 inches
Screen Resolution
1,280 by 800 pixels
Voice Control
Amazon Alexa
Bluetooth
Physical Connections
None
Learn More
Amazon Echo Hub Review
Amazon Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen, 2023)
Best for Small Spaces
Why We Picked ItCompared with the Echo Show 8 and the Nest Hub, the Echo Show 5 is downright puny—and that’s why we like it. At $90, it’s also the least expensive smart display on this list. The 5-inch screen isn’t the best for watching videos, but it can still show useful information and handle video calls, as well as get loud enough for you to hear what Alexa (or whoever you’re talking to) is saying. Who It’s ForIf you want to get a smart display for the least amount of money, the Echo Show 5 is your best bet. It can go almost anywhere the Echo Show 8 can, though its smaller size makes it less than ideal as a living room centerpiece. It’s best for nightstands and desks, or anywhere else you can sit fairly close to it.
PROS
Inexpensive
Integrated Alexa voice assistant
Compact
Plenty of volume for its size
CONS
Can’t produce deep lows or crisp highs
Mediocre camera
No 3.5mm audio port
SPECS
Name
Value
Screen Size
5 inches
Screen Resolution
960 by 480 pixels
Voice Control
Amazon Alexa
Bluetooth
Physical Connections
None
Learn More
Amazon Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen, 2023) Review
Amazon Echo Show 10 3rd Gen
Best for Video Calls
Why We Picked ItThe current Echo Show 10 is unique because of its motorized base. The camera can track your face as you move around the room and turn to follow you, thus keeping you in the frame. It would be even more useful if the screen could automatically tilt but, even without that feature, it’s the best smart display if you like to pace and wander around your space during video chats. It also gets louder than the Echo Show 8, which is a nice bonus.Who It’s ForThis is a true centerpiece smart display. It’s a bit too big for a desk, but a table or kitchen island are ideal locations for it. The face-tracking and motorized base are huge advantages if you want to stay on a call or look at a recipe while you move around. It’s pricey compared with the more conventional Echo Show displays, but the additional features and power make it a worthwhile purchase if you have a good place for it.
PROS
Motorized screen automatically rotates to track you
Loud, crisp sound
Built-in Zigbee hub for smart home device control
Useful home security features
CONS
Motion tracking can occasionally feel awkward
Bass sometimes takes a back seat in the audio balance
SPECS
Name
Value
Screen Size
10.1 inches
Screen Resolution
1,280 by 800 pixels
Voice Control
Amazon Alexa
Bluetooth
Physical Connections
None
Learn More
Amazon Echo Show 10 3rd Gen Review
Google Nest Hub Max
Best for Watching YouTube
Why We Picked ItThe Nest Hub Max is Google’s equivalent to the Echo Show 10 but without the motorized base. It has a large 10-inch screen and a powerful trio of drivers (two tweeters and a woofer) that can put out strong, if not particularly clean or balanced, sound. It now seems a bit pricey for the size since the Echo Show 10 features head-tracking and comparable performance for only $20 more, but it’s one of the better large-size picks if you prefer Google Assistant.Who It’s ForIf you want a Google Assistant smart display for video chats, you have fewer options than with Alexa. With that in mind, the Nest Hub Max is currently one of your best choices if the smaller Nest Hub isn’t quite big enough for you. We recommend the Nest Hub more for its greater value, though; its screen is smaller, but it’s less than half the price and you’re not going to get wildly better audio quality from the larger Nest Hub. The Nest Hub Max’s advantage is the camera for video calls.
PROS
Integrates with Nest and functions as a security camera.
Supports Google Cast.
Fairly loud.
CONS
Sound quality isn’t particularly impressive.
SPECS
Name
Value
Screen Size
10 inches
Screen Resolution
1,280 by 800 pixels
Voice Control
Google Assistant
Bluetooth
Physical Connections
None
Learn More
Google Nest Hub Max Review
Amazon Echo Show 15
Best for Wall Mounting
Why We Picked ItThe Echo Show 15’s large screen is unique (and perhaps even gimmicky), but, like the Echo Show 10, its gimmick serves a purpose. The device is designed to be mounted on the wall like a picture and its 15-inch screen is ideal for showcasing art or photos in that configuration. Its camera and speakers lag behind the Echo Show 10, but its interface offers several widgets that take advantage of the larger screen and a face recognition feature can load custom profiles for each person in your household. It also now has the Fire TV smart TV interface, which means you can use it to stream virtually anything you want.Who It’s ForThis is one of the nicest mid-sized digital photo frames available and its price is quite reasonable. If you want a central control panel in your home that you can put on a wall that everyone walks by throughout the day, this is worth checking out. Just be aware that it isn’t nearly as good for listening to music or making video calls as the Echo Show 10.
PROS
Attractive design
Large screen displays lots of info
Good for video playback
Fire TV integration
CONS
Pricey
Underwhelming camera quality
Middling audio performance
SPECS
Name
Value
Screen Size
15 inches
Screen Resolution
1,920 by 1,080 pixels
Voice Control
Amazon Alexa
Bluetooth
Physical Connections
None
Learn More
Amazon Echo Show 15 Review
Buying Guide: The Best Smart Displays for 2024
Amazon vs. Google Smart DisplaysAmazon Alexa is available on the company’s Echo Show smart displays, including the Echo Show 5, the Echo Show 8, the Echo Show 10, and the Echo Show 15 (all named for the size of their screens). That’s only the start.
Amazon Echo Show 8 (Credit: Will Greenwald)
With an Echo Show, you get full access to Alexa’s capabilities. These devices can show or tell you anything you want to know (within Alexa’s powers to answer). They can also play content from Prime Video and a handful of third-party services, plus give you access to a fully functional web browser. They offer touch-screen control of smart home devices and can show live feeds from compatible home security cameras, too. You can even make phone calls through them.The Echo Show 10 has an additional, unique benefit: a motorized base. It can rotate to follow you around the room, swiveling the camera and the screen to keep you in the frame. It’s a handy feature, especially if you place it on an island or table in the center of a room. The Echo Show 15, meanwhile, is the largest smart display available with a 15-inch screen, and is designed to hang on the wall like a picture. These two Echo Show devices both stand out as the most expensive smart displays currently available because of the 10’s unique base and the 15’s large size.Amazon recently released the Echo Hub, which is very similar to the Echo Show and has many of the same features, but is much more focused on being a smart home control panel than a device for communication and media consumption. You can still use Alexa, make voice calls, and even watch Prime Video on the Echo Hub, but its big appeal is a smart-home-centric interface that puts touch controls front and center instead of requiring you to use your voice or swipe through menus.
Google Nest Hub (Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)
Google offers two Google Assistant smart displays in the form of the second-gen Nest Hub with a 7-inch screen and one speaker driver, and the Nest Hub Max with a 10-inch screen and stereo speaker drivers (one woofer and two tweeters). You won’t find a web browser on either of these devices, but you can access YouTube, live TV via YouTube TV, Netflix, and Disney+, as well as music through YouTube Music, Apple Music, Spotify, and others. All Google Assistant smart speakers and smart displays are also compatible with Google Cast, so you can easily stream media to them from any compatible mobile app.The expected informational and smart home features are also available and, although Google Assistant’s selection of supported home automation devices isn’t quite as massive as Alexa’s, it’s a bit better at dealing with natural language and less picky about syntax. You can also make phone calls with these smart displays and video chat through Google Meet (Nest Hub Max only).Is a Tablet Better Than a Smart Display?Amazon’s Fire HD tablets include Show Mode, which makes them act just like the Echo Show. Amazon even offers a charging dock that automatically puts the tablet in Show Mode. It’s a functional solution and a handy option if you want your Fire HD to remain functional while it charges.However, the tablets don’t sound isn’t nearly as good as the Echo Show devices and they lack the sense of permanence a smart display offers.
Recommended by Our Editors
Pixel Tablet with Speaker Dock (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Google’s Pixel Tablet (with its Speaker Dock) also attempts to bridge the gap between tablets and smart displays, so it’s worth considering if you want something that works as both types of devices. Does Apple Make a Smart Display?It took Apple a few years to dip its toe into the smart speaker arena with the HomePod (now in its second generation) and the more budget-friendly HomePod mini. It’s up in the air whether Apple ever will release a dedicated smart display. For now, you can use your iPad or iPhone on a stand and just talk to Siri, or get an Apple TV and speak into the remote, but that’s as far as it goes.If you want a bigger screen than a smart display to show you information and movies, take a look at our list of the best TVs. If the screen size is right, but you want to be able to take it on the go, start shopping for one of our favorite tablets.
