Echo Hub, 8” smart home control panel, Designed for Alexa+, Compatible with thousands of devices

Just got it today, still doing some settings and trying to set Alexa to respond to commands but nothing so far. So far device works okay except the Alexa issues, will update when finished troubleshooting device. Although, came in carefully packed and good condition, not screen damage or scratches. I am posting this at 2100 hr. Update after troubleshooting (22:29 hr), well I finally got the Alexa "No response" issue. I placed it closer to the wifi-extender and it started to talk right away... Just network issue. Working great now, happy with my purchase...follow the instructions concerning proximity to network connection, and it should work as expected.

Originally I was going to maybe rate this 4 stars, but honestly, this is EXACTLY what I've been looking for and nothing even comes remotely close to it, so I'll go ahead and list everything it does great, followed by what needs improvements, and finally what you should NOT purchase this for... and at the end I'll go over the "general" stuff like screen and sound. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO PULL OUT YOUR PHONE & GO TO ALEXA APP This is honestly the only reason you should be buying this. Because you can already do everything and more directly on the Alexa app on your phone. So you need to (a) see yourself using the Alexa app a lot, and (b) wish you had it on your wall. IF YOU HAVE SMART DEVICES Without these, this is just an overpriced and very bad tablet. Maybe you want to control a few devices around your house like your lights, look at the front door camera. If your requirements aren't too specific with these and you just are willing to take what you can get, then this is it. IF YOU HAVE MULTIPLE OTHER ALEXA SPEAKERS This really does help bring them together, because you now have a screen, although you might save some money if you get one of the other Echo Show devices. It's cool to have it up on the wall, be able to again, not use your phone, not pull out some tablet, to change songs. IF YOU WANT A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF SECURITY & THERMOSTAT This will display your Ring alarm status, let you arm and disarm it, and see what your thermostat is set to from another location across the house (I wouldn't recommend putting them side by side, that's a waste.) IF YOU WANT YOUR HOME TO FEEL "MODERN" SMART This reminds me of things I've seen at high-end hotels. It's just cool to have a touchscreen tablet on the wall, and be able to adjust some lights, play music, adjust the temperature. ___________________ DO >>NOT<< BUY FOR: 1) Managing your device settings. This does a poor job. Your phone can do better. This should only be there to access frequently used devices you've already set up but don't want to navigate through your phone to access. 2) Speakers. This isn't it. The sound isn't awful but it's not great, and you should only use this as a supplement to other speakers you already have in your home. 3) Watching videos. Don't do it. I know you might think it'll be nice to put this in the kitchen and watch something while you cook, just get some other display or tablet. 4) Controlling everything. This kind of ties into #1 above but this should only be set it and forget it, quickly click what you can fit on the screen, and overview of your devices per room. Don't spend a lot of time navigating around. Just get any other tablet at that point. 5) Highly specific apps. The apps on it are lackluster. Have some really cool specific idea? You won't be able to do it or it'll end up being bad. You likely won't be able to do exactly what you want, only as I mentioned very very very basic things. __________________ THE REALLY BAD, DEFINITELY DON'T BUY: 1) Device groups. Currently not supported. If you "favorite" a group of smart devices, it doesn't display it and you can pretty much only do one device at a time, with the "group" being the entire group like "Living Room." This was almost a deal-breaker for me, hopefully they add it later, but I've since found some workarounds for me specific use case. But I wanted to group four mart lights in a room, per room, and have it all display under favorites and could not do that. 2) Smooth tablet experience. Nope, this is going to feel like a really cheap tablet because it is a really cheap tablet. You're going to have to be patient and wait one second or maybe even two for some things, and you'll see it stutter once in a while. This is still miles better than anything else like it that's meant to go on your wall. But probably one of the worst if you're comparing it to an iPad or high-end Samsung tablet. __________________ The Screen: Feels like a really cheap tablet, but they make it work for what it is. The size could have been bigger but honestly then it'd look weird and not like a wall panel. I like it, I just wish there was some more customizability (there isn't really.) The Audio: Again, feels like a really cheap tablet or laptop. The Design: Works out for being wall-mounted. I like the big bezel. Portability: No. Almost none. Do not expect to unplug this and move it around. The Software: Needs some work but it's not as terrible as people make it out to be. I've noticed a few minor bugs like arming my Ring if a device needs a bypass gets it stuck with no error, just loading. Smart thermostat (Nest) if you try to set it to let's say 72 to 73, it will error out vaguely when you should remember that you need a bigger gap between the low and high number. Cameras take a bit to load but they also do that on the apps in any case. It'll only get better from here. The Cost: I wish it would have been closer to $100, but hey, I bought it at full price because I saw the value. If you do not see the value, do not buy it, you'll be disappointed. This is the type of product that's simultaneously worth $50 and $500.

he Amazon Hub is a fantastic addition to my smart home setup and ties seamlessly into Amazon's ecosystem. I love how it brings all my devices together in one place, allowing me to control my lights, thermostat, and other smart gadgets with ease. The voice commands work flawlessly, and the interface is intuitive, making it simple to manage my home devices. Plus, the integration with Alexa is smooth, and it feels like everything just "works" without much setup hassle. That said, there are a couple of drawbacks that keep this from being a perfect 5-star product. First, the size of the hub feels a bit small. It would be nice if there were a more versatile size between the two that are offered. Second, the layout lacks customization options. While the default interface is functional, I’d love the ability to reorganize or personalize it to better suit my needs and preferences. Overall, the positives far outweigh the negatives. If you're already invested in Amazon's ecosystem, this is a great device to tie everything together. Just be prepared to work with the default layout and ensure you have enough space to accommodate the hub. Still, it’s a solid product that I’d recommend to anyone looking to streamline their smart home experience!

There are many reviews high and low for this hub. What you intend on using it for is what you should be looking at. I have had an excellent experience with it so far, because I am using it as a second alarm control, control my lighting and quick view of my Ring cameras/answering the doorbell. It can handle media, music, etc, but that is not its primary use. It is quick and responsive when controlling all of my Ring products, very good at my lights and switches, and very good at locking/unlocking my doors. It works perfectly as a second alarm panel for my Ring alarm. It does a admirable job with my ecobee controlling the Hvac. It is also outstanding as a home intercom, assuming you have Amazon Echos set up in other rooms to drop in on. It is not so great for Amazon music, etc, just get an echo dot for that. It is also not really good to use for video streaming... Yes, it can do that with it, but it begins to lag a bit when it does. This is not a tablet either, as it does need to remain plugged in, so if that is what you are expecting, look at a fire tablet. If you want a device to function as a hub for smart home devices to quickly control, plus need a 2nd Ring alarm panel, THIS IS IT! If you are looking for a media controller, you probably need a fire tablet. It has been excellent for me, was easy to set up and use. I also used a wall wire phish tool to get the USB cord through the wall to keep it looking sharp.