This budget smart display has a bit of an identity crisis.

Physical camera shutter, Cute and compact, Good video-call quality, Smart-home camera and doorbell integration

So-so video, Laggy interface, Limited uses

The screen-bedecked Alexa device is back—this time with a smaller display.

It’s the Echo Show! Just smaller and more adorable. And it has a physical shutter that covers the front-facing camera.

The smaller screen robs it of some of the magic inherent in the larger Echo Show. Alexa isn’t quite as good as Google Assistant.

Best price ever. Fast shipping updates on status

The usefulness of Alexa, and integration with WikiHow, is enough to justify the low price of the Echo Show 5, even if the lack of some features grates on us. This isn’t quite the definitive smart display, but it is one we can imagine in a lot of people’s homes.

Low, low price; Integrated how-to videos; Camera shutter;

Low resolution; No YouTube app; Frustrating UI; Makes Echo Spot redundant

The usefulness of Alexa, and integration with WikiHow, is enough to justify the low price of the Echo Show 5, even if the lack of some features grates on us. This isn’t quite the definitive smart display, but it is one we can imagine in a lot of people’s homes.

Low, low price; Integrated how-to videos; Camera shutter;

Low resolution; No YouTube app; Frustrating UI

The Amazon Echo Show 5 is an affordable little smart display that brings Alexa voice commands to your desk, shelf, or nightstand.

Affordable; Powerful voice assistant features; Useful touch-screen controls with web browser

Mediocre sound quality; Music streamed over Bluetooth is filled with artifacts

Amazon's Echo Show 5 is so much more than a smart alarm clock.

Compact size fits anywhere; Attractive design; Versatile features; Enhanced privacy controls; Entry-level price

Sluggish smart home touchscreen control; Alexa calling isn't easy enough yet; No Google Photos or YouTube

The Amazon Echo Show 5 will fit in nicely on your nightstand. It's a pretty good smart display and a pretty good smart alarm clock at an attractive $90 price that's well below the list price of the next lowest competition -- the $130 Google Nest Hub (formerly the Google Home Hub).

The Amazon Echo Show 5 packs a lot of features into a compact smart display that can easily fit on your nightstand; The sunrise alarms make getting out of bed easy; The new smart home control panel gives you a handy way to control your gadgets with a touch.

The similar Google Nest Hub is better at showing off your pictures, walking you through recipes and organizing your smart home; The Show 5's screen is a little too bright for a darkened room; You can't customize your snooze times, see your commands or set a sunrise alarm outside of certain hours

For the price, the Echo Show 5 is a great value device. Sure there are some compromises, such as in sound quality and no YouTube, but you are absolutely getting value for money and, knowing Amazon, the Echo 5 will soon be discounted further.

Enough size/volume for most rooms; Screen features are continuously improving; Ring doorbell integration; Great value

No YouTube; Not the best Echo option for music; Many Alexa Skills need further optimisation

In many ways, the Echo Show 5 isn't anything particularly special, then. It sounds okay, but its microphone array isn't great and it doesn't move the smart display paradigm on significantly over the Echo Show 2. It's essentially the same device, just smaller.

Great price; Privacy shield on camera; All the features of the Show 2 in a smaller package

So-so audio quality; Disappointing microphone sensitivity