Amazon Echo Show 5 review: a small screen for the nightstand

Amazon's Echo Show 5 is a compact smart display for a nightstand or a small desk, with a 5.5-inch touchscreen and a camera for Alexa video calls. The US listing's "newest model" is still the third-generation hardware released in 2023, not a newly redesigned display. Amazon currently lists it at $99.99, although pricing can change. Its appeal is straightforward: photos, weather and a clock within arm's reach. Buyers expecting a miniature tablet or a screen for watching movies should look elsewhere.

A screen that belongs beside the bed

The 960 x 480 display has enough detail for a weather forecast or a family photo, but its size limits how much information is comfortable to read. A larger Echo Show makes more sense for following recipes from across a kitchen counter. Here, the small footprint matters more than the amount of screen space.

Automatic brightness adjustment and a dim nighttime clock make the Show 5 better suited to a bedroom than a bright, constantly busy display. In 2023, night viewing was comfortable, with effective dimming and good legibility. That does not make every home-screen setting suitable for sleep; configure the display around the information you want beside your bed.

Touch navigation deserves more caution. Touch navigation could show noticeable lag in 2023, so phone-like responsiveness is an unrealistic expectation. Physical volume buttons help: their raised plus and minus shapes are easier to distinguish by feel than identical round buttons. For quick bedside adjustments, those controls avoid an unnecessary trip through menus.

Clearer speech, uneven voice-command results

A single 1.75-inch speaker gives Alexa's replies and podcasts enough clarity for close listening. Fuller bass and clearer voices improve on the previous model, but the sound remains modest for music. There is no strong case for choosing this display primarily as a music speaker. Bluetooth speaker pairing provides an alternative if you want to keep the screen while improving playback.

The three-microphone array also needs a qualified assessment. In 2023, microphone pickup and wake-word response could be reliable, yet requests could also be repeatedly missed. In one household, an ice-maker command failed or received an acknowledgment without doing anything, while a more distant Echo sometimes answered instead. Those outcomes cover different rooms and tasks; they do not establish a universal recognition failure or a guaranteed improvement. That 2023 behavior predates the current Alexa+ marketing and cannot establish how that service performs today.

Camera convenience and bedroom privacy

The 2MP camera is useful for occasional calls and checking a room through Alexa, provided its position suits the job. Its fixed upward angle can show too much ceiling, miss the floor or crop a caller sitting too close. Positioning a pet's bed within view is more realistic than expecting broad security-camera coverage.

A sliding physical shutter covers the lens, and a separate mic/camera-off button gives another privacy control. These are useful distinctions on a bedside device. Photo slideshows are an easier everyday benefit to justify: they give the screen something personal to display between requests without asking you to watch video on a small panel.

Verdict

The Echo Show 5 suits an Alexa household that wants a small bedside clock with photos and occasional video calls. Its compact body, nighttime dimming and tactile controls make a coherent package when space is limited. Buy it for those visual conveniences and keep expectations for music and touchscreen speed modest.

Choose a larger smart display if recipes, distant viewing or frequent calls matter more than footprint. A speaker-only Echo is the simpler alternative when photos and video add little. Existing Show 5 owners have less reason to upgrade for incremental improvements; for a first purchase, compare the current price with larger models before committing.