The Echo Show 5 is one of Amazon’s most versatile Alexa devices thanks to its 5.5-inch display, it’s relatively solid sound quality and it’s compact size. The online retailer discounted the smart display to $35 for the holiday shopping season, but it also has a deal on a bundle that would make a good smart-home starter kit. You can pick up the Echo Show 5 with a Blink Mini for a total of $50, which is 58 percent off the normal price of the bundle.
Amazon last updated the Echo Show 5 in 2021, giving it a 2-megapixel front camera that will slightly improve the quality of your video chats. Otherwise, not much about the Show 5 has changed since it originally came out — but that’s not a bad thing. The Alexa-powered display has decent audio quality for its size, and it has onboard volume controls along with a mic-mute button and a physical camera shutter for when you need extra privacy.
The Show 5 is the smallest smart display in Amazon’s lineup and it makes an excellent alarm clock thanks to its ambient light sensor, which adjusts the screen’s brightness based on the light levels in the room, and its sunrise alarm feature. The latter slowly brightens the display before you’re due to wake up to wake you more naturally from sleep. You can also tap to snooze your alarm, a feature that’s unique to the Echo Show 5 (other Amazon smart displays don’t have it).
Pairing the Show 5 with the Blink Mini can give you a better view of your home. Blink’s smallest security camera may not be wireless like the rest of its gadgets, but it still records 1080p video and supports motion alerts and two-way audio. Once you plug it in, it’ll watch over the inside of your home and you can use the Echo Show 5 to check out its camera feed from another part of the house. And like other Blink cameras, the Mini can also send motion alerts to your phone, so you can check in anytime from anywhere. This $50 bundle gives you both gadgets at the best prices we’ve seen, making it a good starter set for anyone who wants to make their home a bit smarter. If you’re looking for a larger display that also provides even better sound quality, the same bundle with the Echo Show 8 and a Blink Mini is also on sale for $85.
Buy Echo Show 8 + Blink Mini bundle at Amazon – $85
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