Amazon's Echo Show devices distract users with ads. A user is giving theirs away.
New Echo Show devices announced
Ads disrupt personal experiences
Inability to turn off ads
Growing user complaints
Ads don’t subsidize device cost
Owner plans to give away Echo Show
Amazon unveiled its latest 2025 Echo Show lineup consisting of the Echo Show 8 (4th gen) and Echo Show 11, featuring Alexa+—a new AI-powered assistant designed for seamless, ambient integration into users’ daily lives.[1][4]
Device Highlights Echo Show
Echo Show 8: 8.7-inch LCD, 720p resolution, upgraded stereo speakers, 13MP camera for video calls and facial recognition.[7][8]
Echo Show 11: 11-inch LCD, 1080p resolution, front-firing stereo speakers with custom woofer, 13MP camera with enhanced Alexa+ features.[8][7]
Both models boast sleek, floating-screen designs with narrower bezels and improved audio quality to better blend into home environments.[4][8]
Powered by Amazon’s custom AZ3 Pro chips for faster, AI-enhanced performance, including the Omnisense sensor fusion system for contextual awareness.[4][7]
User Frustration Over Ads on Echo Show
Despite promises of subtlety, Echo Show users report an increase in intrusive full-screen, sponsored ads appearing on their devices. These ads often replace personal photos in slideshows and disrupt the user experience, especially in intimate home settings like kitchens.[10][11][12]
Lack of Ad Opt-Out Option
Amazon currently offers no option to disable ads on Echo Show devices.
Users face mandatory advertising without receiving a price discount, unlike Kindle e-readers where ads are optional and discounted.[12][10]
User Discontent
Many users express dissatisfaction, feeling the ads undermine the peaceful, personalized experience promised by Amazon.
Some owners choose to stop using or give away their Echo Show devices in frustration over relentless advertising.[11][12]
Pricing and Advertising Discrepancy
Echo Show devices are sold at full price (e.g., $180 for Echo Show 8, $220 for Echo Show 11), yet include unavoidable ads.
Users see this as unfair compared to Kindle’s ad-supported discount model, fueling negative sentiment about Amazon’s advertising approach on these devices.[7][12]
Amazon’s 2025 Echo Show lineup brings advanced design, AI, and audio improvements to smart displays. However, the growing presence of non-optional advertisements has caused notable user backlash. The absence of an opt-out ad setting and lack of price concessions contrasts with Amazon’s marketing of these devices as welcoming, unobtrusive assistants, highlighting a critical tension in user experience versus advertising strategy.[10][11][12][4]
Luca Fischer is a senior technology journalist with more than twelve years of professional experience specializing in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and consumer electronics. He earned his M.S. in Computer Science from Columbia University in 2011, where he developed a strong foundation in data science and network security before transitioning into tech media.
Throughout his career, Luca has been recognized for his clear, analytical approach to explaining complex technologies. His in-depth articles explore how AI innovations, privacy frameworks, and next-generation devices impact both industry and society.
Luca’s work has appeared across leading digital publications, where he delivers detailed reviews, investigative reports, and feature analyses on major players such as Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, AMD, Intel, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Perplexity AI.
Beyond writing, he mentors young journalists entering the AI-tech field and advocates for transparent, ethical technology communication. His goal is to make the future of technology understandable and responsible for everyone.
Engadget is a technology news and reviews website that covers gadgets, consumer electronics, gaming, and other tech-related topics.
Founded in 2004, it offers daily articles, in-depth reviews, buying guides, and video content, and is currently owned by Yahoo.
Elena Voren is a senior journalist and Tech Section Editor with 8 years of experience focusing on AI ethics, social media impact, and consumer software. She is recognized for interviewing industry leaders and academic experts while clearly distinguishing opinion from evidence-based reporting.
She earned her B.A. in Cognitive Science from the University of California, Berkeley (2016), where she studied human-computer interaction, AI, and digital behavior.
Elena’s work emphasizes the societal implications of technology, ensuring readers understand both the practical and ethical dimensions of emerging tools. She leads the Tech Section at Faharas NET, supervising coverage on AI, consumer software, digital society, and privacy technologies, while maintaining rigorous editorial standards.
Based in Berlin, Germany, Elena provides insightful analyses on technology trends, ethical AI deployment, and the influence of social platforms on modern life.
