Stuff UK – September 2019

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LONG-TERM TEST

DAY 10

This device is just as good as

Lenovo’s rival at being an alarm

clock. There are numerous clock

faces and colour schemes to

choose from, and you can have

it trigger your morning routine as

you wake up. Today, for example,

I got it turn the lights on and give

me the weather forecast before

tuning in to 6 Music.

DAY 11

The UI is fine, if limited. By default,

the homescreen cycles between

your chosen digital clock face

and trending topics, such as the

triumphant return of extra-strong

Marmite, which you can ask Alexa

to tell you more about. But the

display can feel cramped.

DAY 14

The low price and larger display

make this a better buy than the

Echo Spot. Paying a big chunk more

for a full-size Echo Show gets you

a device better suited for watching

video, as well as dedicated web

browsers, more apps and a more

media-rich screen; but to most

people, none of these things are

going to be essential.

For now, this is the best-value

smart display you can buy.

DAY 02

I’m bossing the Show 5 around

in no time. Alexa does everything

expected of it, from checking

the weather and playing music

to ordering an Uber and tweaking

the smart thermostat.

Mind you, the AI is still an

irritatingly poor listener at times,

occasionally failing to obey basic

commands such as “Turn off the

lamp”. Having to repeat yourself

multiple times to a human being

is annoying. Doing it to a faintly

glowing rectangle just before you

go to sleep can get maddening.

DAY 06

The obvious benefit of smart

displays is that they add a visual

layer to the audio. News briefings

can include video; the 7 Minute

Workout shows you a picture of

how to do whatever exercise

you’re about to be humbled by;

and wikiHow features images

alongside its instructions.

I’m not suggesting you should

be watching movies on this thing,

but with Amazon Prime Video

preloaded you can if you want.

Weirdly, I’ve been able to use voice

commands to show me a rundown

of the best new things to watch,

but actually playing a show requires

me to tap it on the display.

STUFF SAYS

A great alarm

clock and a

feature-packed

smart display:

this is a sub-

£100 bargain

++++,

01 Visual element improves

many Alexa skills

02 Works brilliantly as an

advanced alarm clock

03 A lot of functionality for

under £100

04 Screen resolution

isn’t great

05 Sound won’t do your

music library justice

06 Alexa can be a little

temperamental

Donut of Truth™

Display 5.5in

960x 480

touchscreen

Controls Volume

up/down, mics/

camera on/off,

camera cover

Camera 1MP,

720p HD video

Connectivity

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth,

Alexa, microUSB,

audio output

Dimensions 148x

86x73mm, 410g

Tech specs

Movie trailers are
easily called up,
but the Show 5 is
not compatible
with YouTube.