The smart display serves as the central control hub for all Alexa-connected devices, accessible to anyone in the household
Amazon’s latest Alexa device feels like the missing piece in achieving a fully smart home, serving as a hub for controlling lights, doors, cameras, timers, and heating.
The Echo Hub comes ready to be the touchscreen controller for your smart home, offering a cost-effective option that typically requires professional installation costing thousands or a DIY job that demands considerable expertise.
With the ability to be wall-mounted or placed on a stand, the Echo Hub is priced at £170 (€200/$180). When idle, it functions as a clock and digital photo frame, displaying a variety of stock images or pulling photos from your linked Amazon account or Facebook on its 8-inch LCD screen.
Upon waking, the Echo Hub’s interface is populated with buttons and widgets for managing various home functions. A list of rooms on the left displays all Alexa-connected devices, while a row of buttons at the bottom provides quick access to categories like security devices, cameras, thermostats, and lights.
Users can program and activate routines, such as dimming lights in the evening or opening curtains in the morning. Widgets can be added to the home screen to display weather information, a to-do list, and other small details—although I discovered that a simpler home screen layout tends to be more effective.
The new device stands out for its affordability and easy setup. Previously, implementing a comparable hub would have required a system from companies like Control4, which can cost thousands. While it’s also possible to create a DIY solution with a tablet, this approach comes with its own challenges, and achieving the same level of seamless operation as the new Echo Hub can be difficult.
One welcome feature is the absence of advertisements, which have become increasingly common on Amazon’s equivalent Echo Show smart displays. However, Amazon did not confirm whether this will remain the case in the future.
Reducing dependency on smartphone applications
The Echo Hub serves as an effective means of consolidating controls for various functions into a single accessible location within the home. I found its ability to quickly check recent camera activity and adjust the heating temperature, as well as to easily turn on groups of lights, particularly useful. This reduces the need to rely on various smartphone apps or potentially unreliable voice commands.
While button taps are responsive, swiping to access other sections can be slow, especially when loading rooms with numerous devices. Despite its tablet-like appearance, the Echo Hub is not as speedy as a dedicated tablet.
The home screen is well-organized, starting with a widget panel for the room where the Hub is located. Each room features a master light switch with a dimmer slider. However, the smart panel displays only seven other buttons, which are locked into alphabetical order. The rest of the devices are hidden behind a “show all” button. If you have numerous individual lights or devices, this setup can result in more taps and swipes than desired. One workaround is to creatively name groups of devices within rooms, such as “A Kitchen Spotlights,” so they appear higher up in the alphabetical order. However, this feels like an unnecessary workaround.
Switching between room panels using voice commands is unreliable, often resulting in accidentally turning on a light instead. The Echo Hub is equipped with Zigbee, Thread, Matter, and Bluetooth connectivity, allowing it to directly connect to various smart home devices if they are not already set up with a different hub or gateway. It comes with a standard USB-C power plug but can be connected to Power over Ethernet using an adapter for a more streamlined setup, particularly useful for advanced home networking setups.
In addition to controlling your smart home, the Hub can perform most functions typically associated with a smart display, such as playing music and videos. It features stereo speakers that emit sound from the top, but the sound quality is more akin to that of a smartphone rather than a dedicated speaker. While adequate for Alexa’s voice, it may not be ideal for listening to music for extended periods. The Hub can be grouped with other Echo speakers, displaying convenient playback controls, or it can stream to a Bluetooth speaker. I found that the Hub struggled more than the equivalent Echo Show to hear me over ambient noise, requiring me to speak directly at it more frequently.
Sustainability
The Echo Hub is designed for repairability and will continue to receive security updates for a minimum of four years after it is discontinued. It is made with 27% recycled materials, and the company provides trade-in and recycling programs.
Price
The Amazon Echo Hub is priced at £169.99 (€199.99/$179.99) and comes with a wall mount. The stand is available separately for £29.99 ($29.99).
Comparatively, the Echo Show 8 is priced at £150, the Echo Show 15 at £280, the Google Nest Hub at £90, and Brilliant’s plug-in Smart Home Control at $299 (US/Canada-only).
Verdict
For many, the Echo Hub could be the ready-made smart home controller they’ve been seeking. It requires all your smart home devices to be connected to the Alexa ecosystem and performs best with Amazon’s own devices, such as Ring products or Alexa speakers. However, it offers a superior centralized control option compared to other solutions, allowing all household members to manage devices without needing specialized knowledge, relying on apps, or resorting to unreliable voice commands.
While the Echo Hub addresses many needs, it does have some drawbacks and minor issues. For example, certain actions can be slow, customization options are limited, and its speakers and microphones are not as strong as those of the Echo Show 8. Despite being priced lower than some competing smart home controllers, the Hub may still be a bit costly for everyone, especially considering it is more expensive than the equivalent Echo Show.
Overall, the Hub may not suit everyone, but it appears to be the piece that has been missing from Amazon’s smart home strategy. It could help revitalize Alexa as a platform, even if people have become less enthusiastic about interacting with voice assistants.
