Rating – 4.2/5
Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) lies in the upper echelon of Amazon’s smart devices category. The smart speaker with display segment already has adequate models but the Echo Show 10 stands apart from the line-up. Amazon is continuously upgrading its smart home and automation segment. Also, the Echo Show 10 is inarguably the best that they have to offer in terms of smart display that acts as a monitoring hub for all your smart devices. Go through Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) Review.
Let’s explore the tweaks that are done in this latest version of Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen). And if it is worthy of being called the undisputed champion in the smart display category.
Pros
- Motion Tracking display
- Nifty security features
- Zigbee hub for better smart device control
- Loud sounding design
- Auto-pan and zoom enabled webcam
Cons
- Expensive
- Motion tracking is clunky in low light
- Limited app library
- No YouTube app
Technical Specifications
The Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) has an updated, motorized display with motion tracking and a few minor tweaks under the hood.
Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen): Design
Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) sheds the slant base design of its predecessors and has a motorized base that can rotate 360 degrees. It is an all-plastic build but still weighs 2.56 kilograms which are necessary to maintain the weight distribution as the display rotates in 360 degrees. The speaker part of the device is covered with the same mesh fabric present on the latest Echo 4 smart speakers. Being the most expensive smart display in the Echo lineup, the Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) exhibits a premium feel. The display cannot be detached from the speaker, and the smart display offers two color options, black and white.
Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen): Display
Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) uses a 10.1-inch touch display that is the biggest display on any Echo Show ever. The resolution is capped at 1280 x 800 which looks okay but not great. Amazon could have increased the LCD to 1080-pixel resolution, but they didn’t. A valid argument for not increasing resolution is that the smart display is meant to be used at a larger distance most of the time. The Amazon Echo Show 10 comes with a mic/camera on/off button, volume up and down buttons and a privacy shutter to block the front-facing camera. The display can rotate 360 degrees on a horizontal axis and supports manual tilt to adjust its angle to your preference. There is nothing pleasant about the bezels which are extremely thick and resemble older generation tablets.
Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen): Speakers
The new Echo Show 10 adds a woofer into the mix. Now, the speaker section uses 2 x 1.0” tweeters and a 3.0” woofer that can deliver a 2.1 stereo audio output.
Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen): Connectivity
Connectivity is much improved in the new Echo Show 10 and if you compare it with devices like Google Nest Hub Max, the difference is stark. You get the Wi-Fi 6 card that is not supported currently but will be utilized in the future. Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) has Bluetooth connectivity and can act as a ZigBee hub for your smart devices. Amazon’s Sidewalk feature is also supported that you can easily opt out of. Echo Show 10 drops the auxiliary port because a wired connection can impede the movement of the display.
Features
Audio Quality
Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) has a bigger woofer and tweeter combination than the previous versions of the Show. That being said, the audio quality has improved a lot if you compare it with the competition and the devices in the Echo segment. Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) has a greater bass output and is audible even at 50 percent volume. As you push the volume levels, the output does get a little muddy. As for the rotating aspect of the Echo Show, it can block the sound emanating from the speaker in a few positions but that doesn’t affect the overall quality.
Entertainment
Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) offers major streaming services including Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Hulu. But if you compare it with Google Nest Hub Max, the line-up surely is a little disappointing. Even YouTube isn’t present on the Echo show 10 as a standalone app. Rather, you can use it in the browser version that isn’t as good as using the YouTube app. For music streaming, Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) offers Amazon Music, Pandora, Apple Music, and Spotify.
Audible is also supported which is packed with multiple podcast genres. So, entertainment is not a problem on the new Echo Show 10 but the supported services and apps need to accommodate more service providers. Even if you want to play games, the Echo show 10 offers an unlimited library that can take advantage of the motor and turn to the player for making his move.
Video Calls
Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) has a 13-megapixel camera which is one of the best webcams you can find in a smart display. It has a wide field of view that pans and zooms as per your Positioning. Combined with the motion tracking, no matter how much you move across the room while on a video call, the focus always remains on you. It is the most practical use of motion tracking that I love on the Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen). Making video calls is only possible via the Alexa app and it is good for the most part if everyone in your circle uses it. Zoom Isn’t supported on the Echo show 10 but may arrive later this year.
Smart Cam
The motion tracking on Echo Show 10 can be leveraged to monitor your residence remotely. combined with the Wide-Angle webcam and 360-degree rotation, you can easily move the echo show 10 at all the corners of your house. By integrating Alexa guard with echo show 10, you can get intruder alerts, but it is a paid service.
Smart Home Controls
Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) has a built-in ZigBee hub that can monitor all your Smart home devices and act as a central accessing unit. Managing smart devices becomes easier with Alexa that is getting better each day. Scheduling tasks and mapping routines are also possible that reduce human intervention for repeated actions. In the idle state, the Echo Show 10 switches to low power mode. Apart from acting as a central hub, the Echo Show 10 can act as your kitchen guide by dictating recipes and moving the display as you change places.
The motion tracking takes a backseat if the ambient light falls below a certain level. That impedes its functioning as a security cam if the lights are toned down. Motion tracking can be adjusted as per the positioning of the Echo Show 10, to avoid it from bumping with other nearby objects and corners. You can issue voice commands to dim the lights, play something, make calls to other devices if you are using a multi-room setup. The Echo Show 10 can automatically turn off the lights if it doesn’t detect any human presence in the room, thereby saving your electricity bills.
Is it worth upgrading over Echo Show 8?
Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) fixes numerous limitations of the previous generation Echo Show devices but is a costly upgrade. If you ignore the cost difference, the Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) is value for money for the features that are bundled with it. It is not cheap like the Amazon Echo 4 that comes under 100 USD but is better than the Google Next Hub in some areas. It still relies heavily on the cloud that makes the touch screen experience a lot less snappy.
Final Words
Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) is the top-notch smart display in the Amazon Echo line-up. Its motion tracking amplifies the power of the smart speaker and acts as your smart home hub and as an entertainment device. There are a lot of activities that you can do with the Echo Show 10 but binge-watching Disney Plus isn’t one of them. Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen) needs to improve on its app line-up. And process simple features on the device itself. Also, check out Google Nest Hub Max Review.