Amazon Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen) Review: A Great-Value Compact Smart Display With a Slow Processor
Surprisingly good sound and a clear little screen make it a top bedside and kitchen Alexa display, undercut by a sluggish processor, ads and a clock screen that goes blank.
The Amazon Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen) is a compact 5.5-inch Alexa smart display that shines on a nightstand, kitchen counter or desk. Owners love its small footprint, the surprisingly good sound for its size (with doubled bass), the clear bright screen, and how it doubles as an alarm clock, timer, video-call device and simple smart-home controller, all at a low price, especially on sale. Alexa+ (Amazon's newer AI) impresses many, controlling lights, cameras and fans from one place. The catches: the processor is slow (noticeably slower than the Echo Show 8, with laggy menus and delayed responses), the clock screen can go blank and need a daily reset unless you show photos, ads and sponsored themes appear until disabled, it will not keep a camera feed on screen continuously, and many features nudge you toward subscriptions. It is a Matter hub but not Zigbee or Thread. It works with Alexa (and Home Assistant partially), not Google or HomeKit. For a cheap, compact Alexa display for a bedside or kitchen, it is great value, if you can live with the sluggishness.
- Bedside alarm clock and display
- Compact kitchen or desk Alexa screen
- Budget Alexa smart-home control
- Buyers who catch it on sale
Pros
- Compact size ideal for a nightstand, kitchen or desk
- Surprisingly good, room-filling sound for its size
- Clear, bright screen; great as an alarm clock and timer
- Easy setup and capable Alexa+ smart-home control from one place
- Physical camera privacy shutter; Bluetooth hub; color options
- Excellent value, especially on sale
Cons
- Slow processor: laggy menus, delayed responses, weak with video apps
- Clock screen can go blank and need a daily reset unless showing photos
- Ads and sponsored themes until disabled one by one
- Will not keep a camera feed on screen continuously
- Many features nudge toward subscriptions; occasional glitches
- Matter hub only (no Zigbee/Thread); no Google Home or HomeKit; no included stand
Who is the Echo Show 5 for?
This is a small 5.5-inch Alexa smart display for a nightstand, kitchen counter or desk. It shows the time, weather, reminders, lists and smart-home controls, plays music and video, makes video calls (with a camera and physical privacy shutter), and acts as an alarm clock. It has a touchscreen, doubled bass over the prior model, motion sensing, Bluetooth, and is a Matter hub (but not Zigbee or Thread). It connects over dual-band Wi-Fi and works with Alexa (and Home Assistant partially), but not Google Home, HomeKit or SmartThings. It comes in several colors and supports Amazon's Alexa+ AI (free with Prime). It best suits a bedside alarm clock, a compact kitchen or desk display, and budget Alexa smart-home control. If you want a snappy processor, a persistent camera feed, or a full clock screen without resets, read the caveats first.
What buyers love
Value and sound lead the praise. Owners repeatedly call it excellent for the price (and advise waiting for a sale), and are surprised by how good the sound is for such a small device, clear, non-tinny, and loud enough to fill a bedroom or kitchen for music, podcasts and radio. The screen is clear and bright for its size, ideal as a bedside alarm clock, timer and quick-glance display, and setup is refreshingly easy (guided on-screen, with the device often pre-programmed with your details). Alexa+ wins many over: voice recognition is strong, and it consolidates control of lights, cameras and fans that previously each needed their own app, plus it is conversational for questions, games and jokes. It works as a Bluetooth hub, the camera has a physical slide cover for privacy, video calls and photo-frame mode are handy, you can pair two for multi-room sound, and it comes in colors to match a room. For a compact, affordable Alexa display, owners find it a genuinely useful daily companion.
What to know before you buy
The most common complaint is speed: the processor is slow, noticeably slower than the Echo Show 8, with laggy menus, delayed voice responses, and even volume changes that can take seconds (some owners say minutes), plus occasional freezes. It struggles with YouTube TV (Prime Video is fine) and is slow to pull up Blink or Tapo camera feeds. Several owners also report the clock screen going blank and requiring a reset via the app roughly once a day, with the only workaround being to display photos, which shrinks the clock (and you cannot choose which photos show). Ads and sponsored themes appear until you disable them one by one in settings, and it will not keep a camera feed on screen continuously, one owner found it shows a doorbell view for about 15 seconds then returns to the home screen through ads, making it useless as a constant monitor. Many features also push subscriptions (some contacts, certain conveniences), which frustrates buyers. Others note occasional glitches and reboots, that the newer Alexa voice sounds curt to some, and that the Alexa app sometimes fails to detect devices. It has no wall-mount, no included stand or screen protector, and no Zigbee or Thread (Matter only). It does not work with Google or HomeKit.
Is the Echo Show 5 worth it?
For a cheap, compact Alexa display, the Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen) is strong value: great sound for the size, a clear screen, easy setup, and a genuinely useful bedside clock and kitchen assistant, especially on sale. The catch is performance, this is the slow one in the Echo Show line, so if you plan to run video apps, quickly pull up cameras, or want instant responses, the sluggish processor and occasional clock-screen and glitch issues will grate, and the Echo Show 8 is a much snappier step up. Also expect to disable ads, and know it will not hold a camera feed on screen. Buy it if you want an inexpensive bedside or kitchen Alexa display for time, music, timers and light smart-home control; if you want speed, video streaming, a constant camera view, or Google/HomeKit, spend up to the Show 8 or look elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
Is it fast enough?
This is its main weakness. The processor is slow, noticeably slower than the Echo Show 8, with laggy menus, delayed voice and volume responses, and occasional freezes. It handles Prime Video but struggles with YouTube TV and is slow to load camera feeds. For a snappier experience, the Echo Show 8 is a worthwhile step up.
Can I use it as a simple clock?
Yes, but with a caveat some owners hit: the clock screen can go blank and require a reset via the app about once a day, and the only reliable workaround is to enable photo display, which shrinks the clock to near-invisible. You also cannot pick which photos show, so a clean clock-only display is not always dependable.
Are there ads?
Yes, sponsored themes and ads appear by default, including spoken product promos when swiping, but you can turn most of them off in the settings, disabling insights, themes and background rotations one by one. After that, owners see far fewer, though it takes some digging through menus.
Can it show a security camera feed all the time?
No. It can display a compatible camera (like a Ring or Tapo doorbell) on request with good quality, but it returns to the home screen after roughly 15 seconds, often through ads, so it cannot serve as a constant camera monitor. For always-on viewing, use the camera's own app on a phone or tablet.
Which smart-home platforms does it work with?
Alexa, and it is a Matter hub (but not a Zigbee coordinator or Thread border router, unlike the Echo Show 8). It works with Home Assistant partially, but not Google Home, HomeKit or SmartThings, so it suits an Alexa-centric home. Alexa+ is available and free with a Prime membership.
