Smart displays such as the Echo Show 8, Echo Show 10, and Echo Show 15 can control smart home devices, but none could serve as a dedicated hub for connected cameras, lights, keys, etc.

We took the opportunity to check out the new Amazon Echo Hub, which is dedicated to managing smart home devices. It was unveiled at the 2023 Amazon Devices & Services event in Arlington, VA. Here are our first impressions of this new gadget.

The Echo Hub will be available on Amazon for $179.99 / $329 AUD. Amazon has not yet announced a release date other than "later this year," but you can sign up to be notified.

The Echo Hub is much smaller than I expected. It is essentially a very slim 8-inch tablet that can be mounted on a wall or propped up on a desk with an attachment. [The device itself measures 7.9 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches and has an 8-inch display with a resolution of 1280 x 800; the back of the Echo Hub has a small depression for a power cable, allowing it to be mounted flush to the wall over an outlet; a USB-C port allows you to use Power over Ethernet is also available. However, it must always be plugged into a power outlet.

On the right side of the Echo Hub are three buttons: one to mute the microphone and two to adjust the volume.

At the bottom of the Echo Hub's bezel are three microphone arrays, and at the top is an infrared proximity sensor. Unlike Amazon's other smart displays, the Echo Hub does not have a camera, so it cannot be used for video calls like other devices. However, it does have a speaker on board (albeit a small one), so at least you can talk to someone on the other side of the video doorbell.

The Echo Hub can connect via Wi-Fi (802.11ac), Bluetooth, Thread, Matter, and Zigbee, and has built-in Amazon Sidewalk.

Since the Echo Hub is dedicated to smart home control, the display is dominated by widgets for controlling devices. In the center of the display are widgets for groups of devices, which can be grouped by room or device type. In other words, you can have a widget for all the smart home gadgets in the living room and a widget for all the security cameras.

At the bottom of the display are icons for device types, such as lights, keys, thermostats, etc. If there is a smart speaker, one of the icons will show the music that is playing. And on the left side, there are rows for devices grouped by room and access to Alexa routines.

Like Amazon's other smart displays, the Echo Hub has streaming apps like Max, Prime Video, recipe suggestions, and anything else that would appear on other smart displays. However, its tiny speaker is not going to provide the audio oomph that you get with a larger smart display, so I have a feeling it probably won't be used for anything other than controlling smart home devices.

While devices like the Google Nest Hub are dedicated to smart home, the Echo Hub can do other things. However, it can control and display other Alexa-related things on the screen, such as calendars and shopping lists.

When no one is near the Echo Hub, the display will show family photos and other items, but as you approach the device, the proximity sensor switches to a display of smart home controls.

In my brief hands-on demo, the Echo Hub seemed to lag a bit when opening screens and menus, but we were looking at an early sample, so hopefully the finished product will be more responsive.

Some time after launch, the Echo Hub will also support Alexa's new map view. For those who have lots of smart lights and devices, it's a great way to remember which gadgets are in which rooms and control them all from one location.

With the Echo Hub, Amazon is entering a market previously dominated by professional installers. it is much more compact and less expensive than the $249 Echo Show 15. close to the Echo Hub may be the Brilliant Control Panel, which starts at $399. This device controls all smart home devices, checks security cameras, and doubles as an intercom thanks to its built-in camera (it also has Alexa and Google Assistant built in).

This is a nice response to Google's $499 Pixel Tablet and $229 Nest Hub Max. However, they offer a more focused product for those who just want a smart home controller. It would have been nice if it had a built-in camera, but it looks useful for those looking for an easy way to control all their smart home devices.