The Best Smart Displays
Verified by
Ryan V. Editor-in-Chief
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
The Amazon Echo Show 8 (2025) is the rare product that reviewers agree on. It took the top spot in five of the seven roundups and hands-on reviews we analyzed: Reviewed named it Editor's Choice, CNN Underscored called it 'the best smart display we've tested,' Tom's Guide ranked it best overall, and TechRadar and The Ambient both gave the 2025 redesign 4.5 out of 5. When independent testers who disagree on almost everything else land on the same pick, that consensus is worth trusting.
The redesign is why. The Ambient described it as 'a complete rethink of the form factor,' with the 8.7-inch screen floating above a new speaker base. TechRadar praised the panel as 'thinner, brighter and zippier' and singled out the 'solid, room-filling sound' from the dual full-range drivers and 2.8-inch woofer. That audio advantage is real and repeatable: every roundup that compared it to Google's single-speaker Nest Hub gave the Echo the edge for kitchen music and video calls.
Under the hood, the new AZ3 Pro processor runs Alexa+, Amazon's next-generation assistant, and Tom's Guide credited its proactive Omnisense routines as a genuine step forward rather than a gimmick. Just as important for a smart home, the Echo Show 8 includes Zigbee, Thread, and Matter radios. TechRadar confirmed all three work out of the box, which means it can run lights, locks, and sensors directly without a separate hub. The Nest Hub cannot do that.
At $179.99 it sits in the mainstream premium tier, more than the budget picks but well short of the $299 Nest Hub Max or the wall-sized Echo Show 21. For the buyer who wants one display to handle video calls, recipes, music, and device control, it is the safe and correct default.
What It Won't Do
The one thing every reviewer keeps returning to is the missing physical camera shutter. TechRadar, The Ambient, and Tom's Guide all flagged it: the 2025 redesign dropped the sliding cover that older Echo Show models had, so privacy now depends on a software toggle and a mic mute switch rather than a piece of plastic you can see is closed. For a camera that sits in your kitchen or living room, that is a step backward. If a shutter matters to you, the older Echo Show 5 or Echo Show 10 still have one, and the camera-free Nest Hub sidesteps the issue entirely.
The Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen) wins on value by doing less on purpose and charging much less for it. It lists at $99.99, the lowest sticker of any mainstream pick here, and two of the roundups that weight price and privacy most heavily put it first outright. Android Central named it best overall as the strongest camera-less display, and the CNET-authored review syndicated on Yahoo called it 'the smartest and best overall, making the lower price even more appealing.'
The defining feature is what it leaves out. The Nest Hub has no camera at all. That is a deliberate privacy decision, and it makes the device an easy yes for a bedroom or nightstand where nobody wants a lens pointed at the bed. CNN highlighted the Soli-sensor sleep tracking that turns it into a genuine sleep and alarm device, something no Echo Show offers. The tradeoff is obvious and stated plainly: you cannot make video calls on it.
On intelligence it punches above its price. CNET rated its assistant the smartest of the group, and Google now runs Gemini for Home on it, which sharpens question answering and web search. For the buyer who mostly asks questions, checks the weather, controls a few lights, and wants a clock that tracks sleep, the assistant is more than capable.
It works as a Thread and Matter hub too, so it can control modern smart home gear directly. It lacks the Zigbee radio the Echo Show 8 includes, so some older Zigbee devices still need a bridge. But at $99.99, sitting a clear $80 below the Echo Show 8, it delivers the core smart display experience for the least money.
What It Won't Do
The 7-inch screen is the catch, and you feel it the moment you try to use the Nest Hub for anything visual. Tom's Guide and CNET both flagged the small display, and it shows when you pull up a recipe, watch a video, or glance at a busy dashboard from across the kitchen. The single speaker is the other limit: it improved over the first generation, but CNN noted it cannot match the stereo Echo units for background music. And because there is no camera, video calls are simply off the table. This is a display that trades screen size and calling for privacy and price, and you have to actually want that trade.
Who Should Buy Which
Amazon Echo Show 8 (2025)
The size, sound, and price that five of seven review roundups rank first
- Anyone who wants one display to handle video calls, media, and smart home control
- Buyers who value stronger stereo audio for kitchen music and calls
- Smart home owners who want built-in Zigbee, Thread, and Matter without a separate hub
- People who want the latest Alexa+ generative assistant and AZ3 Pro speed
- Shoppers looking for the pick that nearly every expert roundup ranks first
Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen)
Sub-$100, camera-free by design, and the pick two privacy-first roundups rank first
- Budget buyers who want a capable smart display for under $100
- Anyone putting a display on a nightstand who prefers no camera in the room
- People who want Soli-sensor sleep tracking and a smart alarm clock
- Google and Gemini households who prize assistant intelligence over screen size
- Privacy-minded shoppers comfortable giving up video calls