Amazon's Echo Hub is one of the best smart displays I've tested After using it daily for the past month, I can say that with confidence The touchscreen's emphasis on snappy controls makes it feel hardwired to all of the best smart home devices I own Whether it's turning up the heat or turning on the smart lights, controlling my home from this panel feels as instantaneous as operating a dial or light switch

The difference is that this bright display listens to voice commands and can quickly turn into an alarm panel, thermostat control, and even a TV, blending naturally into any space With this first-generation device, Amazon has brought the Echo Hub closer to perfection right out of the gate However, a few areas could use some work Read on to find out what we like and don't like about this $180 gadget and whether it's worth your hard-earned money

Amazon's operating system is notorious for bloat, and from the Fire TV to the Echo Show smart display, this tech giant can't seem to resist shoving crap onto its screens If it's not showing ads for new shows, it's showing news, viral clips, or candidates for the best Alexa skills On the contrary, the Echo Hub's interface is always directly related to business

The Hub's screen remains off when no one is in the room When it detects the presence of someone, a picture appears along with the current time, so you can see it from across the street; when you approach the Echo Hub, live images of smart home devices, rooms, and cameras appear, so you can quickly adjust each device one by one or all together with a simple tap!

Every aspect of this layout can be customized to your liking, from the position of buttons to the grouping of devices to the surrounding image display This level of control and simplicity feels refreshingly different from existing Amazon and Google smart displays

Widgets are a defining feature of the Echo Hub These mini-apps are always on screen, so you can view live snapshots from multiple security cameras, dive into smart light settings to dim or change colors, or adjust the climate with a simple press Think of these as control buttons that provide status updates, such as time, temperature, and door open/close No other smart display handles widgets so efficiently, except for the Echo Show 15 However, the Echo Show 15 is pricier, has Amazon's bloated feature set, and lacks the customizability of the Echo Hub

I would argue that the Echo Hub is even better on a stand than on a wall mount because it can be interchanged between rooms Since my room is not fixed to the wall, I could move it to the guest bedroom I then created a grouping of devices in the guest bedroom and bathroom and moved them to the front This allowed guests to control the lights from their night tables, send music to the bathroom speakers, adjust the temperature, etc The Echo Hub is one of the first affordable devices to make the smart home more accessible

The Echo Hub's compact 8-inch screen is sufficient for smaller display spaces One can easily manage individual devices from a list and control climate and alarms by tapping buttons on the virtual panel However, a larger panel would provide more space for more detailed widgets and home status information at once Media functions are an afterthought, but the screen has a built-in FireTV-like interface for streaming apps, so you can play movies and TV shows In addition, the user can view the movements of multiple security cameras at the same time

Amazon's smart display does not yet support Map View, but since this hub acts as a universal controller for the home, it needs more space to take full advantage of this feature A larger screen area would make it easier to scroll through floor plans for each room and tap individual light bulbs and smart plugs

The hub had to cut down on the huge room-filling speakers found in the Echo Show We understand that the design of the Echo Hub requires it to be installed flat against a wall and can do without the spatial audio of its media-centric siblings That said, the Echo Hub's speakers are a step above standard tablets Indeed, the crisp four-microphone array is so accurate that there is no need to repeat commands or listen while on a call

However, Amazon pushes audio wirelessly to your favorite speaker system with an "Active Media" tab that pops up a button to cast the song or podcast playing to an external smart speaker on the same network, There's a reason why we recommend controlling

Unfortunately, the built-in PIR sensor and light sensor (used to detect motion and trigger the smart home dashboard) cannot be used as motion or light sensors to trigger automation routines It would be even more useful if the Hub could turn on the lights when I enter the living room or lower the smart thermostat in recognition of it if no one has moved in the room for more than 30 minutes Additionally, it would be great if there were cameras that could check who enters and exits the room without having to purchase additional indoor security cameras

Overall, the Echo Hub seamlessly becomes my smart home command center and speeds up my day I wish the specs were on par with the less expensive Echo Show 8, including a camera and more speakers While it falls short in these lifestyle-specific areas, it leads the pack as the best smart display for controlling all of your smart home devices The thin wall-mountable body works great as an alarm panel or smart thermostat controller with live widgets, especially in the entryway or living room