So the secret is I purchased the Echo Show 5 2nd Gen solely as an “add-on” bc it only cost me an additional $10 as part of a Prime Day Deal (w the purchase of 3 Blink Outdoor Cameras- which I love)
The pros are that it’s extremely easy to set up (uhhh, just plug it in), has great voice recognition, decent screen quality, and it’s the perfect size for me on the night stand (neither too big nor too small). I also like the clock feature(s) and all the different ummm apps? which you can download to use on the ES5 (like Netflix). Now, that being said, I haven’t watched a single thing of substance on it yet (no movies, videos, video calls) bc I have my iPad, iPhone, etc. for all of that stuff.
I also like all of the different settings and features available, allowing you to customize your ES5 screen(s).
Finally, I like how you can easily block the front-facing camera on the home screen so no bored pervs at Amazon can watch me sleep.
Now, the one negative … WHICH I 100% KNEW GOING IN … So it’s not really a fair knock … BUT unless you’re willing to pay substantially more (at least in the Prime Day deal I was offered), you can’t select one single Lock Screen for the ES5 to display all the time (such as an alarm clock face or the weather forecast). Instead, it’s always scrolling through various screens.
Now, you absolutely CAN get all the information you need on the screen at times; but, unless you pay extra, your ES5 screen will also contain auto-scrolling nonsense as it shuffles through various faces (stocks, scores, weather, pics, etc.). I’d love to be able to use the Home Screen solely as a weather station or solely as an alarm clock, both while I’m using it (as a speaker) and while I’m not using it at all. To be fair. I’ve really only used it as a Bluetooth speaker so far, and it’s been really good for that limited purpose.
Again, in full disclosure, I only purchased the Echo Show 5 2nd Gen as an inexpensive add-on to a Prime Day deal, so keep in mind it’s always possible (likely) I’m only tapping like 3% of it’s actual abilities, but that’s ok too, bc I’ve been really satisfied with it as a Bluetooth speaker so far.
Final thoughts- If you can get it as an inexpensive add-on as part of another deal/item, that would be ideal. However, it’s still a good + solid product that delivers as promised, which may not sound like much, but is actually quite the rarity these days.
FINAL VERDICT: SOLID BUY … as long as the price is right
Carbon emissions from the lifecycle of this product were reduced compared to similar products or previous models.
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