Amazon bundles the Echo Show 8 with an Echo Show 5 Kids for only $70

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Cyber Monday has come and gone, but if you're still looking to pick up a new smart display or two ahead of the holidays, a newer deal on Amazon's Echo Shows may be of interest: The retailer is
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that pairs its Echo Show 8 with the Kids edition of its Echo Show 5 for $70.

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We've seen the Echo Show 8 alone
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for much of the last two months, but that still equals the lowest price we've tracked. Normally, it retails closer to $100. With this deal, you're effectively getting an Echo Show 5 Kids thrown in at no extra cost. That device is currently available
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, but its average street price over the last few months has sat closer to $60.


Most people don't need a smart display, but for those who like using a voice assistant to pull up the weather, control smart lights and doorbells, stream podcasts and so on, it can provide more context than a screenless smart speaker. Amazon and Google are really your only options in this market, but if you're already partial to Alexa, the Echo Show 8 is your best bet.

We gave the 8-inch display a
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last year and currently recommend it in our
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: It can't double as a smart home hub like the bigger
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, but its display is big and sharp (1,280 x 800) enough to comfortably stream video or display photos around the house, its speakers are powerful enough to fill a room, its processor can keep up with most tasks and its 13-megapixel camera is suitable for video calls. And while no Alexa or Google Assistant device is ideal for the privacy-conscious, there's at least a physical camera shutter and mic mute button built in.

The Echo Show 5 isn't as quick, spacious or loud, and its 2-megapixel camera is a noticeable downgrade. Still, it can do just about everything the larger models can do, and its 5.5-inch screen makes it a better fit for bathrooms or bedside tables. We gave it a
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last year. The Kids version has the same hardware as the normal model, but it comes with a two-year warranty, a year of
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content service and a more child-friendly interface. Whether you're okay putting an Amazon mic and camera in your kid's room is up to you, but there is a camera cover and various parental controls for limiting and monitoring how the device is used.

If you're not beholden to Alexa, we'll note that
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, our
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, is still on sale for $50. We generally find the Google Assistant to be a little smarter than Alexa, particularly for web queries, and it
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with widely-used Google services like Gmail, Google Calendar, YouTube and the like. The Nest Hub also lacks a camera, which may be a positive if you don't care about video calling. That said, if you already own a bunch of Alexa-enabled devices and want a couple new displays for around the house, this is a good deal, regardless of
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.

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