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Amazon slashes the prices of Echo Show 5 and Facebook Portal smart displays

Any Alexa and Google Assistant smart display on sale deserves a close look. Smart displays bring three “E’s” to smart home user experience: enrichment, engagement, and entertainment. On-screen visuals multiply the value of voice response, giving users more information and encouraging further interaction. Games, graphics, video, and still images all boost enjoyment. Amazon slashed the prices on the Echo Show 5, Facebook Portal, and other Alexa-compatible smart displays and Walmart cut the price of Lenovo’s 8-inch Smart Display with Google Assistant.

We’ve found the best discounts on smart displays from Amazon and Walmart and put them all in one place. Whether you’re just beginning to set up a smart home or adding to an existing configuration, these six deals can help you save up to $61.

Echo Show 5

— $25 off

The Echo Show 5 is Amazon’s entry-level smart display. Relatively small with a 5.5-inch 960 x 480 resolution touchscreen, the Echo Show 5 also has a 1 MP camera for two way video calls. You can slide a physical shutter to block the camera lens for privacy, and there’s also a button that turns off the camera and two microphones. The Show 5’s full-range speaker is only sufficient for background music, but there’s a 3.5mm audio out jack on the back of the case so you can port the audio to better-sounding speakers or headphones. In addition to voice calls and announcements with Alexa apps, you can also use the Show 5 for Skype voice or video calls.

Usually $90, the Echo Show 5 is just $65 during this sale. If you’re looking for a smart display for an Alexa smart home setup but you don’t want to spend a lot, this is a chance to buy the already low-priced Show 5 at an attractive discount.

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Fire HD 8 Tablet

— $30 off

The Fire HD 8 Tablet has a 1,280 x 800 resolution 8-inch diagonal touchscreen display and runs up to 10 hours with mixed-use including reading, web browsing, watching video content, and listening to music. There are two cameras on the Fire HD 8, one on the front and one on the rear. Each camera takes 2MP images and records 720p video.

You can talk to Alexa hands-free with the Fire HD 8, and in that respect, the tablet can replace an Echo Dot smart speaker. Free Show Mode software converts the tablet to an Alexa-compatible smart display with a larger, higher-resolution display than the Show 5. If you place the Fire HD 8 in an optional

Show Mode Charging Dock,

the Fire HD 8 automatically converts to Show Mode.

Regularly $80, the Fire HD 8 Tablet is just $50 for this sale. If you’re shopping for an Alexa smart display, the Fire HD 8 is a great buy that’s also a tablet, e-reader, and web browser.

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Portal from Facebook

— $61 off

The Portal from Facebook is the smaller of Facebook’s two smart displays. The Portal’s 10.1-inch diagonal, 1200 x 800 resolution, 720p HD screen pairs with a 12MP video camera for Facebook video calls. Two internal speakers provide a combined total of 10 watts of audio.

You can use the Portal as a display for Facebook calls and content, but because the Portal has Alexa built-in, you can also use the device as an Alexa-compatible smart speaker. The Portal doesn’t support Echo Show mode; all video apps and content are from Facebook.

Regularly priced $199, the Portal from Facebook is cut to $138 during this sale. If you’re shopping for a smart display for Facebook graphic, image, and video content and would also like Alexa voice access, this could be a good time to snap up a Portal at this discounted price.

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Portal Plus from Facebook

— $27 off

The Portal Plus from Facebook differs from the regular Portal in display size and resolution, and audio components. The Portal Plus has a 15.6-inch diagonal Full HD video display with 1,920 x 1,080 resolution. Twenty watts of audio plays through the Portal Plus’s two tweeters and single 4-inch bass. Excellent for Facebook content and calls, the Portal Plus doubles as an Alexa-compatible smart speaker.

Ordinarily $350, the Portal Plus from Facebook is $322 for this sale. This is an excellent opportunity to acquire this device at a compelling price.

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Lenovo Smart Tab M 10

— $36 off

The Lenovo Smart Tab M10 is a versatile 2-in-1 Android tablet. When you place the M10 on the included charging dock, it can double as a fully featured Show Mode Alexa smart display. The Lenovo’s 10.1-inch 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, full HD display and two front speakers with Dolby Atmos support combine to provide quality entertainment. The Smart Tab M10 has a rear-facing 5MP camera and front-facing 2MP camera. Lenovo rates battery life up to 8.5 hours per charge.

Instead of the usual $200 price, Amazon cut the Lenovo Smart Tab M10 to just $164 for this sale. If you like Android tablets with quality video and audio, and also want an Alexa smart display at a great price, now could be the time to click the buy button.

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Lenovo Smart Display 8-inch with Google Assistant

— $31 off

The 8-inch Lenovo Smart Display is the smaller of two Google Assistant displays from Lenovo. The 8-inch model’s 1,200 x 800 resolution HD screen is crisp and clear with vivid colors. After you set up the Lenovo Smart Display with the Google Home mobile app, you can start asking “Hey Google” or “OK Google” just as you would with a Google Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max.

Normally priced at $200, the Lenovo Smart Display is just $169 during this sale. If you need or want a smart display for a Google Assistant-based smart home network, this is a good opportunity to save on the impressive Lenovo Smart Display.

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Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown Contributing Editor   As a Contributing Editor to the Auto teams at Digital Trends and TheManual.com, Bruce…
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