10 Best Alexa Smart Speakers 2026 in the United States

The Amazon Echo Show 15 is a versatile smart speaker that acts as a kitchen hub with a 15.6-inch Full HD display, making it perfect for organizing daily tasks and enjoying entertainment. With built-in Fire TV, it provides access to a wide range of apps like Netflix and Prime Video, enhancing your viewing experience, although subscriptions may be required. Sound quality is robust, thanks to its two woofers and tweeters, offering vibrant audio for music and video playback. Its microphone array allows for clear voice commands, making interaction with Alexa smooth and efficient.

The device excels in smart home integration, allowing users to control devices with ease via voice or touch, and supports Zigbee, Matter, and Thread protocols for comprehensive compatibility. The Echo Show 15 showcases a sleek design, suitable for wall mounting, which streamlines its appearance as a digital photo frame or organizational tool. While it boasts a large display and advanced connectivity options, its size might be impractical for smaller spaces. Privacy features are robust, including a physical camera shutter and mic off button.

Connectivity is enhanced with Bluetooth and the latest Wifi 6E support, though setup requires a compatible network. Despite its strengths, the Echo Show 15's multimedia features may be overkill if you primarily seek an assistant for basic tasks. Additionally, some apps and services might not be available in all regions, which could limit its functionality depending on location. Its advanced smart home capabilities make it ideal for tech enthusiasts looking for more integrated home automation.

The Amazon Echo Show 5 (newest model) offers a compact design with a 5.5” display, making it suitable for smaller spaces. The sound quality has improved with deeper bass and clearer vocals, enhancing your music and video streaming experience. The built-in 2 MP camera allows for video calling and provides a way to check in on your home remotely through compatible cameras and doorbells.

This model integrates seamlessly with smart home devices, allowing you to control lights, thermostats, and more via voice commands, even when you're not at home. The display screen is handy for quick access to news, weather updates, and viewing photos, with Prime members enjoying unlimited cloud photo storage. Privacy features are robust, including multiple layers of controls like a mic/camera off button and a built-in shutter, addressing common concerns about data security.

Connectivity options are strong, supporting WiFi, Bluetooth, and newer standards like Matter, ensuring broad compatibility with various smart devices. The design is both eco-friendly and aesthetic, using sustainable materials. However, the small screen size may limit the viewing experience for some users, and the 2 MP camera may not offer the best quality for video calls. Despite these minor drawbacks, the Echo Show 5 is a solid choice for anyone looking for an affordable, versatile, and privacy-conscious smart speaker with display capabilities.

The Amazon Echo Show 8 (newest model) is a versatile smart speaker that excels in several areas. It features an 8-inch HD touchscreen that delivers vibrant visuals, making it great for watching content on streaming services like Prime Video and Netflix. The inclusion of spatial audio ensures an immersive sound experience, enhancing both music and video playback. The sound quality is robust with its 2 x 2” full range neodymium drivers, and the passive bass radiator adds depth to the audio output.

For video calls, the 13 MP centered camera offers clear and crisp visuals with auto-framing and noise reduction technology, allowing for more natural conversations. In terms of smart home integration, the Echo Show 8 stands out by supporting Zigbee, Matter, and Thread protocols, eliminating the need for a separate smart home hub. You can easily control various smart home devices like cameras and lights through voice commands or the touchscreen display.

The device's design is modern and compact, making it a good fit for most home settings without taking up too much space. The built-in smart home hub simplifies managing connected devices, and the microphone array ensures Alexa can hear you well from across the room. Connectivity options are robust, with dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth support, although it doesn't support ad-hoc WiFi networks or Mac OS X devices for hands-free voice control. While the Echo Show 8 aims to protect user privacy with features like a built-in camera shutter and microphone off button, some users might still be cautious about Amazon's data handling practices. One potential drawback is that certain features and streaming services may require additional subscriptions, which could add to the cost. The device is also designed with sustainability in mind, using 29% recycled materials and responsibly sourced packaging.