Amazon Echo Show 5 (3rd gen)

The Echo Show 5 (3rd generation) is a compact 5.5-inch Alexa display for a desk or bedside: timers, calendar, camera feeds and drop-in calls, with a physical camera shutter. It is the cheapest Echo with a screen, and the one thing to know is that the 960x480 display and 2MP camera are for glancing, not for video meetings.

What is the Echo Show 5 actually good for?

• A glanceable desk clock, calendar and timer with voice control.
• Viewing a doorbell or security camera feed from a desk.
• Drop-in calls between rooms; the physical shutter covers the camera when not in use, unlike the Show 11.
• Alexa+ is free with Prime in the US and Canada, $19.99 a month otherwise, and unavailable in the Gulf.

Pricing reads: See current price on Amazon. Colour variants, renewed units and smart-plug bundles are separate listings. More in home automation.

Who should skip it

Anyone who wants video calls on it, or a screen readable from across a room, should buy the Echo Show 11 or 15 instead.

Research-based listing — not hands-on tested by Digital4All; details as of September 2026.