Amazon's UK Echo store now comes down to two families: four smart speakers, from the Echo Dot up to the Echo Studio, and five Echo Show screens from 5.5 to 21 inches. Two familiar names, the Echo Pop and the plain Echo, no longer appear in it. This guide takes each difference as Amazon's own product pages and comparison charts list it: speaker size, screen, camera controls, the built-in smart home hub, Alexa+, privacy settings and the WiFi each model needs.
For most rooms the Echo Dot is the one to buy: Amazon lists a 1.73-inch front-firing speaker, dual-band WiFi and a Microphone Off button. Choose the Echo Dot Max or Echo Studio for bigger sound and a built-in Zigbee, Matter and Thread hub, or the 2025 Echo Show 8 for a screen, a camera and the same hub. The Echo Show 5 is the small screen with a camera cover.
Key Takeaways
- Amazon's UK Echo store lists four speakers, the Echo Dot, Echo Spot, Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio, plus five Echo Show screens, and neither the Echo Pop nor the plain Echo is among them.
- Amazon's technical details list a Zigbee, Matter and Thread Border Router hub on the Echo Dot Max, Echo Studio and 2025 Echo Show 8 and 11, and its charts show no hub on the Echo Dot, Echo Spot or Echo Show 5.
- Amazon's UK listings say a new Echo comes with Alexa+ Early Access on a personal UK-based account, in English only, and its Alexa+ page says the original Alexa stays available.
- Amazon's privacy FAQ says the microphone button cuts power to the microphones and lights a red light, and the Echo Show 5 and 15 pages add a built-in camera cover.
- Amazon's help page says to keep an Echo within 10 metres of the router, and every Echo speaker page lists a mains power adaptor in the box and no battery.
Four Echo Speakers, From the Echo Dot to the Echo Studio
Amazon's UK Echo store lists four speakers: the Echo Dot, Echo Spot, Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio. The Echo Pop and the plain Echo appear in neither the store nor its comparison chart.
The Echo Dot and Echo Spot each use a 1.73-inch front-firing speaker, and Amazon's chart suggests the Dot for bedrooms and small spaces and the Spot for bedrooms. The Spot adds a 2.83-inch clock screen, and its page says it has no camera. The Echo Dot Max steps up to a 0.8-inch tweeter and a 2.5-inch woofer, which Amazon says gives 3x more bass than the 2022 Echo Dot. The Echo Studio suits large rooms, with a 3.75-inch woofer, three 2.25-inch full-range drivers, spatial audio and Dolby Atmos. Amazon says the new Studio is 40% smaller than the original, though it still weighs 1.63 kg.
Amazon says a second Dot Max or Studio can pair for fuller sound, and the Studio page lists the Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd generation) among its home cinema partners. The Fire TV Stick guide covers choosing one.
Echo Show Screens Add Video Calls, Cameras and Fire TV
Amazon's Echo Show chart lists five touchscreen sizes: 5.5, 8.7, 11, 15.6 and 21 inches. The Echo Show 5 (3rd generation, 2023 release) is the small one, which the chart places on table tops and office desks, with a 2 MP camera. Its page says Netflix is not currently compatible, and the chart lists the Prime Video app with others through the browser.
Amazon's chart pitches the 2025 Echo Show 8 and 11 as kitchen assistants. The Show 8 has an 8.7-inch HD touchscreen at 1340 x 800 and the Show 11 a 10.95-inch Full HD screen at 1920 x 1200, and both carry a 13 MP auto-framing camera, the Netflix app and a built-in smart home hub. The Echo Show 15 and 21 have Fire TV built in. The Show 15 page includes an Alexa Voice Remote and a wall mount, and says the screen must be wall mounted with a drill or placed on a stand sold separately.
The Show 5 page lists Kindle Read Aloud, where Alexa reads your Kindle books aloud.
The Built-In Smart Home Hub Covers Zigbee, Matter and Thread
Zigbee and Thread are low-power wireless standards for bulbs, sensors and locks that connect through a hub rather than WiFi. Amazon's technical details list a Zigbee + Matter + Thread Border Router hub on the Echo Dot Max, Echo Studio and 2025 Echo Show 8 and 11, and Amazon says these pair lights, locks and thousands of devices without a separate hub. The Echo Show chart also ticks a hub for the Echo Show 15 and 21, though the Show 15 page names no protocols.
The Echo Dot and Echo Spot pages list Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy Mesh and Matter, the Echo Show 5 page lists a Matter controller, and Amazon's charts show no hub on any of them. Amazon's Matter help page says Thread-based Matter devices need a Thread-enabled device online, and suggests installing within 9 metres of a compatible Alexa hub or device.
Amazon adds that Omnisense on the Echo Dot Max, Echo Studio and 2025 Echo Show 8 and 11 can trigger routines by temperature or presence. For heating, the smart thermostat guide covers UK boilers.
Alexa+ Comes With a New Echo in the UK
Amazon's current UK Echo listings all carry an Alexa+ Early Access label. Amazon's Alexa+ page describes it as more conversational and capable than the original Alexa. The Echo Dot listing says buying a new device grants Alexa+ Early Access to the Amazon account used for setup, excluding like-new and used devices. The same listing says Early Access needs a personal, UK-based Amazon account with English set on every compatible device, and that Alexa+ is currently English only in the UK.
Amazon's Alexa+ page says Early Access is rolling out to UK customers who own or buy a compatible Echo, and that it works on most Echo devices. The exceptions it names are older models such as the Echo Dot 1st generation, Echo 1st and 2nd generation and Echo Show 1st and 2nd generation, which keep the original Alexa. Amazon's FAQ adds that the original Alexa stays available to anyone who prefers it.
After Early Access ends, with at least 30 days' notice, Amazon says Alexa+ will stay free for Prime members and become a standalone subscription for everyone else.
Privacy Controls Cover the Microphone, Camera and Voice Recordings
Amazon's privacy FAQ says every Echo has a microphone button, and that pressing it disconnects power to the microphones, lights a dedicated red light and turns off presence detection on supported models. The same FAQ says a blue light ring on a speaker, or a blue bar on an Echo Show, shows when audio is being sent to Amazon's cloud.
Cameras vary by model. The Echo Show 5 page lists a mic and camera off button and a built-in camera cover, and the Echo Show 15 page says to use its built-in shutter. The 2025 Echo Show 8 and 11 pages describe a microphone and camera enable/disable button plus dedicated camera controls on the device and in the app, without mentioning a cover.
Amazon's FAQ puts recordings under More, then Alexa Privacy, in the Alexa app, and offers automatic deletion after 3 or 18 months, or not saving recordings at all, which also deletes voice ID. The Privacy Hub lists voice commands for deleting recordings, but Amazon's help page says voice requests cannot delete voice history with Alexa+.
Every Echo Needs WiFi and the Alexa App to Set Up
Amazon's pages say each Echo comes ready to connect to WiFi, with the Alexa app on Fire OS, Android or iOS doing the setup. The Echo Dot, Echo Spot and Echo Show 5 list dual-band WiFi, while the Echo Dot Max, Echo Studio and the Echo Show 8, 11 and 15 list Wi-Fi 6E. Amazon's help page adds that Echo devices cannot connect to ad-hoc networks.
When one will not connect, Amazon's help page starts with placement: keep the Echo within 10 metres of the router and away from microwaves and baby monitors. Test another device to see whether the network is at fault, and if the router shows separate 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz names, try the other one. After a password change, update the Echo under Devices, then Device Settings in the Alexa app, although Echo Show models change it on the screen itself. Amazon's setup page also suggests trying setup on a phone hotspot.
The Echo WiFi guide goes further, and the smart plug WiFi guide covers plugs that refuse to join.
Five Echoes for Five Kinds of Room
An Echo is not a portable speaker. Every Echo speaker page lists a mains power adaptor in the box, 15 W for the Echo Dot and 50 W for the Echo Studio, and none lists a battery. Bluetooth works in both directions, though: Amazon says the Echo Dot can play audio from a phone or send it to a Bluetooth speaker, although speakers that need a PIN code are not supported. For the garden or a trip, start with the Bluetooth speaker guide.
For a fixed spot at home, the table covers the common needs. The Echo Dot is the all-round pick; its listing calls it the newest generation, and its technical details identify the 5th generation, a 2022 release. The Echo Dot Max (2025 release) adds the hub and bigger sound for living rooms, and the Echo Studio (2025 release) suits music and Dolby Atmos. The 2025 Echo Show 8 brings a screen, camera and hub to the kitchen, and the Echo Show 5 (3rd generation) is the small screen for a desk or bedside table.
| Product | Best for | Key specs | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Echo Dot (5th generation, 2022 release), Charcoal Our pick | Bedrooms, small rooms and a first Echo | 1.73-inch speaker, dual-band WiFi, Matter, mic off button | Check price → |
 | Echo Dot Max (2025 release), Graphite Smart home hub | Living rooms and Zigbee or Thread smart home kit | 0.8-inch tweeter, 2.5-inch woofer, Wi-Fi 6E, Zigbee hub | Check price → |
 | Echo Studio (2025 release), Graphite Best sound | Large rooms, music and Dolby Atmos with Fire TV | 3.75-inch woofer, 3 full-range drivers, Dolby Atmos | Check price → |
 | Echo Show 8 (2025 release), Graphite Screen | Kitchens, video calls and viewing camera feeds | 8.7-inch HD screen, 13 MP camera, Zigbee hub, Wi-Fi 6E | Check price → |
 | Echo Show 5 (3rd generation, 2023 release), White Small screen | Desks and bedside tables | 5.5-inch screen, 2 MP camera with built-in cover | Check price → |