Did you know that Best Buy sells Amazon-made gadgets too? Probably. But you might be surprised to find out that it’s actually smarter to purchase an Echo device from the e-commerce giant’s arch-rival sometimes.
Right now, for instance, the Echo Show 8 is marked down from a list price of $149.99 to only $84.99 at Best Buy. We’re obviously talking about the smart display’s newest edition, released less than a year ago, and believe it or not, Amazon continues to charge a full 150 bucks for this puppy in both charcoal and glacier white colorways.
This time around, you don’t need to meet any special requirements or jump through any hoops whatsoever to keep your smart home spending to a minimum. And yes, the Echo Show 8 can essentially do all the same things as the larger and costlier Echo Show 10 and Echo Show 15, just… on a smaller screen.
We’re talking hands-free music streaming from platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music, smart home controls (with a built-in hub feature), alarms, timers, news briefings, weather reports, video calls, and yes, even video streaming from Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, or Prime Video.
Pretty much everything can be done by voice… or touch for maximum versatility, and both the HD screen and 13MP camera are decidedly impressive for the $84.99 price point. On top of everything else, the Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen) remarkably supports spatial audio technology for “room-filling” sound, which makes this smart display a very good smart speaker for not just your bedroom, but the kitchen and living room too. In short, you’re looking at an outstanding value proposition here, especially if you’re an Alexa aficionado.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian’s passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for ‘adequate’ over ‘overpriced’.
