Echo Show 5 | 2nd generation (2021 release), smart display with Alexa and 2 MP camera | Glacier White

This is my second Echo device I have bought with the first being the Echo Dot 4th Gen, and like that ball-shaped speaker, the Echo Show 5 2nd Gen has the same issue (for me at least) with any kind of smart speaker, voice recognition. Like its name, you end up sounding like an echo as I command "Alexa" over and over and it just doesn't respond, or when it does, it stops listening whilst I ask it things or appears to listen and does nothing. Generally, this is where the bad American accent immitations appear just to get it to listen.It isn't all bad, the screen is surprisingly good for something that isn't even 720p in resolution but its 5.5 inch screen size is what makes it better. I have been able to watch movies on this thing like James Cameron's The Terminator and Disney's A Christmas Carol staring Jum Carrey from Google Play Movies using Amazon Silk, and the image is clear and crisp. Though, there is a little stuttering playing video on Amazon Silk, but this is only at the start for a few moments, and obviously the experience is better with the preinstalled Amazon Prime app.When it comes to sound, it is very good, but I am not entirely sure if it is better than the Echo Dot 4th Gen. I have noticed some distortion with it with the volume just over 50 or 60%, whereas the Echo Dot 4th Gen does not do this till around 70%. It is a good and clear quality for movies with some bass there and perfect for audiobooks from Audible and listening to the radio.With anything you do watch or listen to, these will sit on your home screen like a recommendation or suggestion should want to watch or listen to them again. These can be removed in the settings, and along with anything you wish to see or not see on the display.Unlike my Echo Dot 4th Gen, the Echo Show 5 does not have a headphone jack/ Aux socket on the back, just a power port and a MicroUSB port. The speaker is housed in the back, but the sound doesn't feel like it is playing away from you. The cable is of a good length and it is about 2m which I think is more than enough. the mute mic, volume controls, and camera cover is on the top of the device, and it will take a little time or workout which is which, and then you are good to go and navigate each button without looking.I do recommend this device as it does all I need and more. It has a bright and clear display that is great to see your photos that syncs with the Amazon Echo app, and good for watching movies and TV shows. The speaker is good enough for what it is, and despite its size, it packs a punch. Voice recognition is hit and miss for me, and I am from the South East with no thick accent, so I can imagine those with thicker accents might experience issues.7.5/10

I've always found Echo devices cope well with my accent, I don't think I have a strong accent but who ever thinks they do have a strong accent..? 🤔 I'm Scottish and it's always been a bit of a meme for us to have voice recognition completely fail but in my experience with Echo devices, it's just a meme, no actual issues... Very occasionally "she'll" hear something random and go off on a tangent...Anyhoo... That's Echo devices in general, now the Echo Show 5...I bought this as part of a package with a Ring doorbell, I find people claim I wasn't in when they try to deliver stuff, when in fact I was in but they seem incapable of chapping a door.Keeping in mind that's the main reason for buying both the Ring doorbell and Show 5, I read a couple of reviews where people said the Show doesn't work with the Ring doorbell. It does. It absolutely does. It's stupidly easy to set up and get both working together. Out of the box(es) to completely finished, not including charging the doorbell (not everyone will only use it on a battery), it takes maybe 20 minutes to get everything working.I can also control my other CCTV system via the Show 5, which is handy.The only downside to that is, I can't have all the cameras displayed at once but it's a small screen, so not a great issue and more a software than hardware issue.In short for the primary reasons I bought it. Excellent. Doesn't take up a lot of space, lets you see who's at the door and control other smart home stuff via an easy to use and clear enough screen.Sound quality, if you use it to play music is pretty decent. It's not going to replace your hi-fi but if you're doing some housework or study etc. it's great to play some tunes as you work.Video quality/ screen quality.I've given it a 4 here, which may be slightly harsh. Again, I didn't buy this to watch videos or movies and it works perfectly for what I did buy it for. It sits in a room with a hi-fi and a smart TV, so I don't really use the full range of functions that I'm sure it's capable of, although I did have a wee shot of various things to make sure it all works.There's a photo slideshow function which seems pretty good, although I personally find things like that a little distracting, so I know it works, it's quite good but it's not a feature I use.Comedy downside...I actually don't mind this at all but it's funny so...There's a feature in the Show which isn't on any of my other Echo devices.I have a new puppy, he's coming up on 6 months as I write this review. If your dog barks a few times, you get a push notification to your phone and the Show device plays "classical music for pets, to calm them"... I don't know if it works. I do know that my pup seems to have noticed this. I can be sitting there with both dogs, both perfectly quiet and sleeping, as dogs tend to do given the chance. Pup, whom I've now dubbed Cocky Spaniel, will wander over to the door, bark a couple of times and then lay where the central heating pipes come into the room, I get a notification on my phone and the music starts playing... When the music finishing (it plays for 30 mins), he sometimes sits up, barks a couple of times again and then back on his ribs... My puppy appears to have learned how to get music to play... Still... As long as he's happy. Maybe I should have a dog bark recognition heading... 🤔Slight edit... It turns out my wife used the Alexa app to add the "classical music for dogs", she set it up to just play in the living room.