It's not easy to choose which is the best smart speaker. Both of these devices look good, have good looks, and can do basic smart screen things. You can keep an eye on your home security, control your smart home devices, watch videos, or check the weather. The smart assistant you are more embedded in will be an important factor in the decision. There are other factors you might want to consider.
The larger end of the Echo Show line was introduced by Amazon, followed by a smaller one and a medium-sized one. On the other hand, the mid-sized Nest Hub was the start of the smart screen journey for the company. Both companies came up with a strategy of different screen sizes. They compare and help you choose the best option for you.
| Echo Show 8 | Nest Hub (2nd Gen) | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 7.9 inches x 5.4 inches x 3.9 inches | 7.0 inches x 4.7 inches x 2.7 inches |
| Weight | 36.6 oz | 19.7 oz |
| Speakers | 2 | 1 |
| Screen | 8-inch touch screen at 1200x800p resolution | 7-inch touch screen at 1024x600p resolution |
| Microphones | 4 | 3 |
| Smart assistant | Alexa | Google Assistant |
| Privacy controls | Physical camera shutter and mute switch | Physical mute switch |
| Colors | 2 (charcoal, sandstone) | 4 (chalk, charcoal, sand, mist) |
The first attempt at a smart screen speaker, the Nest Hub, was praised for its bright, colorful screen and easy to use interface. The first smart device we could recommend putting in any room in the house was this one. It is svelt, doesn't have a camera, and has a handy Ambient EQ mode that adjusts the color and lighting to fit the room's vibe. It blends in nicely with the surroundings.
You'll be in heaven if you're a heavy user of the Nest Hub, because it has great integration with the rest of the internet. It does a great job of showing you your day at a glance, it's easy to create routines, and you can cast content to the screen with its built-in Chromecast support. It is the best digital photo frame on the market, and its integration with Google Photos makes it even better.
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There have been some complaints about the device. Many people were happy that this device didn't include a camera, but they were upset that they couldn't make or receive video calls. The Ring products don't work well with the Nest Hub because it's a mature smart home platform. The realities of walled gardens and consolidated ecosystems are what you need to consider when buying a smart device.
There are exciting new features in the first generation of the Nest Hub and the second generation of the Nest Hub. The device looks the same but it's what's on the inside that matters. If you want the best sound experience, you should get a Nest Audio speaker. Our review didn't see a dramatic performance improvement despite the fact that the new features are powered by a faster processor.
The Nest Hub (2nd Gen), which uses radar to allow you to control the display through the motion of your hands, gives you an accurate sleep analysis. Some users may not like these tricks in the long run. The sleep tracking is a free trial at launch but is going behind a subscription paywall at the end of 2021.
The starting price is one of the biggest improvements between the first and second generation Hubs. The original Home Hub was priced at $150, but the second generation was priced at $100. The lower price is important as Amazon has continued to heavily discount both the Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 5.
The Echo Show 8 is the latest and greatest smart screen speaker from Amazon, and it builds on the best features of its predecessors, the smallerEcho Show 5 and largerEcho Show 2nd Gen. It brings the physical privacy controls of a hardware camera shutter and microphone switch up from the Show 5 and the Show 2nd Gen. It includes Amazon's new approach to easy smart device set up and maintenance.
The fact that you can use this device to video chat with other echo show users or drop in on friends and family with echo smart speakers puts it ahead of the nest hub from a functional perspective Amazon addressed this concern first with the Show 5 and now with the Show 8 by prominently featuring physical controls for the camera and microphone and reinforcing its online privacy and security controls.
The Echo Show 8 is cementing its position as the premier smart home management device. If you're a person who wants to build out a fully smart home and want to use more products and services than the other way around, then it's worth considering the advantages of using an Amazon device.
CNBC and the Food Network are exclusive to the Show 8. There are other services that are not yet available on the Nest Hub. There is no support for the two video sharing websites. The Show 8 is very good at controlling and monitoring a wide range of smart home products and works well with Ring and Eero products. Before you make your purchase decision, consider what products and services you have or want to have.
This is one of the more difficult comparisons to make because they are similar. I lean towards the nest hub in this category. The innovative motion tracking features, better speaker, and other services support help the Nest Hub (2nd Gen) come out on top in this comparison.
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