She was talking to the Echo before I could say anything
As the holiday shopping season draws near, Amazon has halved the price of its Echo Show 5 smart display to £44.99, placing a device of modest ambition — voice control, video calls, home automation — within easier reach of everyday households. The gesture is familiar: technology made accessible through the ritual of the sale, inviting consumers to weigh convenience against compromise. For those navigating the crowded landscape of smart home devices, the question is less about the discount and more about whether the product, at any price, delivers on its quiet promises.
- Amazon has slashed the Echo Show 5 to £44.99 — a full 50% off — making it one of the most visible deals of the Black Friday season.
- The third-generation device arrives with real upgrades: a faster neural processor, improved audio, an extra microphone, and a sleek edge-to-edge glass design.
- Enthusiastic buyers report seamless smart home control, surprisingly rich sound, and effortless setup — but a vocal minority flag buggy software and an erratic touchscreen.
- One customer received a damaged unit on arrival, though Amazon's same-day replacement softened the blow and illustrated both the risk and the safety net of online retail.
- The same £44.99 price is available at Currys and John Lewis, making it worth a cross-check before purchasing given the inconsistent quality reports.
Amazon has brought the Echo Show 5 down to £44.99 for Black Friday — half its usual price — positioning the compact smart display as one of the season's headline offers. The 2023 third-generation model comes in three colours and carries genuine improvements over its predecessor: clearer, bassier audio, an additional microphone for sharper Alexa responsiveness, Amazon's AZ2 Neural Edge processor, and a refined edge-to-edge glass frame designed for comfortable low-light viewing.
Buyers who love it tend to love it immediately. One reviewer watched his wife take to it within minutes, moving fluidly from music requests to weather checks to browsing. Another praised its ability to orchestrate an entire smart home — cameras, radiators, lights — while streaming audio to an external soundbar. Setup, multiple users agreed, is straightforward, and the voice recognition rarely misses.
Yet the enthusiasm is not universal. Some owners have found the touchscreen unpredictable, alternating between unresponsive and hair-trigger sensitive. One buyer received a unit with physical damage on arrival, though Amazon resolved it swiftly. A few reviewers noted that while the third generation edges ahead of the second, the software still carries rough edges.
The £44.99 price is matched at both Currys and John Lewis, so shoppers have options. Given the mixed signals on build consistency, a careful read of recent reviews and a glance at competing offers seems a sensible step before committing.
Amazon has cut the Echo Show 5 in half for Black Friday, bringing the third-generation smart display down to £44.99 from its usual £89.99. That's a £45 saving on a device that's been flagged as one of the retailer's featured deals heading into the holiday shopping season.
The 2023 model comes in charcoal, cloud blue, or white, and Amazon has loaded it with upgrades meant to justify the smart display category. The audio system is stronger now, with clearer voice reproduction and deeper bass. There's an extra microphone built in to make Alexa more responsive to commands. The processor is faster—Amazon's own AZ2 Neural Edge chip—and the physical design has been refined: a compact frame wrapped in edge-to-edge glass and a screen tuned for comfortable viewing in low light.
Customers who've bought it tend to speak in superlatives. One five-star reviewer described showing his wife how to use it, only to watch her immediately start asking for songs, jokes, and weather updates, then seamlessly linking to websites and apps. Another buyer, Cheung, praised the sound quality as unexpectedly good for the size, and highlighted how well it controls smart home devices—cameras, radiators, lights, sockets—and can stream music to a connected soundbar. Gary gave it five stars as well, calling setup effortless and the voice recognition sharp, with a screen size that feels right and performance that justifies the purchase.
But not everyone has had the same experience. Mark Kloda found the touchscreen sensitivity inconsistent, and his first unit arrived damaged, though Amazon replaced it the same day. Another reviewer noted that while the third generation is an incremental step up from the second, the software feels buggy. The touchscreen, they said, is unpredictable—sometimes requiring a firm press, other times responding to the lightest touch.
The Echo Show 5 at this price point is also available at Currys and John Lewis, both offering it for £44.99. For anyone considering the purchase, the mixed feedback on build quality and touchscreen responsiveness suggests it's worth reading recent reviews carefully and comparing what other retailers are offering before committing.
Notable Quotes
The sound is super good. I didn't expect this size and multi-function unit can provide this quality of sound. The voice control is very good, I use it to control my house cams, radiators, lighting, and sockets.— Cheung, five-star reviewer
The software is a buggy mess. The sensitivity of the touchscreen is all over the place, sometimes needing a firm press and at others selecting option with the merest touch.— Anonymous reviewer citing third-generation issues
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does a smart display with a five-inch screen matter enough to write about?
Because it's the entry point. Most people's first interaction with a smart home happens through something small and affordable like this, not a full ecosystem. When it works, it changes how people move through their homes.
The reviews seem split. Some people love it, others say the software is buggy. What's actually going on?
It's a common pattern with Amazon hardware. The core idea is solid—voice control, video calls, home automation—but the execution feels rushed. The touchscreen sensitivity issues suggest they shipped it before fully testing edge cases.
Is fifty percent off a real deal, or just marketing?
It's real money off. But the fact that Currys and John Lewis are matching the price tells you something: this isn't a scarcity play. It's a volume play. They want it in homes before Christmas.
If you were buying one, would you?
Only if I was certain I'd use it for voice control and video calls, not touchscreen interaction. And I'd buy from somewhere with a good return policy, given the quality variance people are reporting.