Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen, 2023)
The latest upgrade makes Amazon’s Echo Show 8 a better smart display than ever. It now supports spatial audio, has widgets for a better interface, and includes an updated processor.
Google Nest Hub 2nd Generation
Google’s Nest Hub (2021) is still going strong even after two years. It also supports sleep tracking and several smart home protocols.
Amazon has a new version of its Echo Show 8 smart display. It succeedsthe company’s second-generation modelthat was launched back in 2021 and brings improvements in audio quality, a new Thread radio, and several software features. But how do all these exciting features stack up against theNest Hub (2021) smart display, which isthe best Google Assistant smart display? Let’s find out.
Price, availability, and specifications
Amazon Echo Show 8 (2023) carries a price tag of $150, slightly more than the 2021 model, but the company hopes new features will justify it. You can buy it from Amazon and Best Buy.
On the other hand, the Google Nest Hub, which was originally introduced in 2021, has an MSRP of $100, but you can frequently find it for as low as $60 via all major retailers.
Design and display
The Echo Show 8 and the Nest Hub have similar but distinct designs. While the Nest offering looks like a tablet slapped on a speaker, the Echo Show 8 has a more seamless design, with a screen on the front and a thick protruding speaker on the back. But in both cases, it’s the large screen that you notice, and the rest kind of hides in the back.
Speaking of the screen, there is a seven-inch display with a resolution of 1024x600 pixels on the Nest Hub, whereas the Echo Show 8, as the name suggests, has an 8-inch display with a resolution of 1280x800 pixels. So, you clearly get a higher resolution screen on the Echo, which will display crisp pictures and text.
The Nest Hub also lacks a camera, which is present in the Echo offering and allows the smart display to offer video calling. There is also a physical cover to hide the camera if you are uncomfortable having it always looking at you and your home.
The Nest Hub, however, is available in four colors, giving you more choices to better integrate the smart display into the aesthetic of your home or room. But you only get a boring black color option for the Echo Show 8.
Performance
Google’s original Nest Hub was pretty slow at responding to touch commands, and the situation hasn’t improved much with the Nest Hub (2021). It’s still occasionally laggy, and there is a noticeable delay in switching between different functions. But at least you don’t have to wait several seconds for something to happen. And most of the time, you will use your voice to control it, which is swift and much smoother.
In comparison, the Amazon Echo Show 8 (2023) is a much newer product, and its AZ2 chip makes using the touchscreen snappier than the previous generation, which was already faster than the Nest Hub. So, using the touchscreen on the Echo Show 8 (2023) is noticeably quicker than the Nest Hub’s touch screen.
Similarly, in terms of audio, the Echo Show 8’s dual full-range neodymium drivers with spatial audio support easily beat the single speaker on the Nest Hub. You also get four microphones in the Echo Show 8, compared to just two on the Nest Hub.
Software and features
Software is the heart of any smart display, and we are currently in the middle of a shift. Google is shifting from its Linux-based Cast OS to Fuchsia OS (and theNest Hub (2021) has already gotten the update), while Amazon is also moving from its Android-based Fire OS to the self-developed Vega OS. Although the Echo Show 8 has yet to receive the Vega OS, it will get it sometime soon.
Despite these software upgrades, the larger experience of using these displays isn’t going to change much, as seen on the Nest Hub (2021). Apart from the operating system, theAlexa voice assistantdrives most of the functions on the Echo Show 8, whereas theGoogle Assistantdoes the same on the Nest Hub (2021). Also, the older Echo Show 8 versions used to fall behind the Nest Hub in terms of the software interface, but the introduction of widgets in the 2023 variant has made using the Echo Show 8 much easier with touch.
Video calls and sleep-tracking features
The one relatively significant difference in the features of the two displays is the built-in camera on the Amazon Echo Show 8. It allows users to make video calls, although only with Alexa (no Zoom or third-party app support). Amazon has also addressed privacy concerns by including a mechanical privacy shutter to block the camera when needed. Unfortunately, there is no camera on the Nest Hub, so you may’t make video calls.
Similarly, Nest Hub also packs a piece of hardware you won’t find on the Echo Show 8 — the Soli micro-radar chip, enabling it to offer sleep tracking and gesture control. You get neither of the two on the Amazon offering.
Even more features
Otherwise, you can use either smart display to set timers, answer questions, tell the weather and news, reveal calendars, make grocery lists, and more. Both are also good for controlling smart home devices, streaming your favorite show or movie, or listening to music. That said, the Nest Hub makes it easier to access YouTube andYouTube TV, and it also has apps for Disney+ and Paramount+, which aren’t available on the Echo Show 8. You can also cast content from your mobile device to the Nest Hub.
However, the Echo Show 8 supports an expansive selection of smart home protocols, some of which you won’t find on the Nest Hub. For example, it’s a Zigbee hub, a Thread border router, and aMattercontroller. It can also function as anAmazon Sidewalk hub. But the Nest Hub can only function as a Matter controller and a Thread border router.
Both can be used as digital photo frames, but it’s easier to turn the Nest Hub into a digital photo frame than the Echo Show 8. Amazon instead sells Echo Show 8 Photos Edition for $10 more, which is better at being a photo frame than the regular version.
Which one is right for you?
Choosing between different smart displays depends primarily on the ecosystem. If you already have a few smart home products, you need a compatible smart display to make the most of them. Or, if you are just starting out, you need to pick a smart home ecosystem with which you are most comfortable. Even if neither of these is a deciding factor for you, the Amazon Echo Show 8 (2023) is simply a better smart display. It has better speakers, uses the robust Alexa voice assistant, supports a more expansive selection of smart home protocols, and packs a camera for video calling.
Powered by Alexa
The latest upgrade makes Amazon’s Echo Show 8 a better smart display than ever. It now supports spatial audio, has widgets for a better interface, and an updated processor.
But if you would instead go with Google’s Nest smart home ecosystem, the Nest Hub (2021) is a decent alternative. As it has gotten older, it is showing signs of age, but otherwise, given its price tag, it’s still your best bet for a Google Assistant-powered smart display.
With Google Assistant
The Nest Hub (2021) is the best smart display with Google Assistant. It’s a bit old, but thanks to its attractive price tag, it continues to find buyers.
