Verdict
The 2025 Echo range, from the £99.99 Echo Dot Max to the £219.99 Echo Show 11, was built for Alexa+, which reached the UK as a free Early Access trial in March 2026. Reviewers praise the sound and design, while user reviews owners of the Show 11 complain of lag, ads on the screen and worse sound than the cheaper Show 8. Alexa+ is free with Prime and £19.99 a month without it once the trial ends, and every request now goes through Amazon's cloud.
Privacy note. Recordings train models by default with an opt-out, local processing removed in 2025 (theverge.com), $25M FTC penalty in 2023 (variety.com), and no camera shutter on Show 11 (techradar.com)
Best for
Households that want a voice assistant for music, timers and smart-home control
Skip if
Anyone who dislikes ads on screens or wants voice requests kept off a company's servers
Key facts
- Made by
- Amazon
- Based in
- United States
- Launched
- 2014
- Works on
- hardware, iPhone, Android, Web
- In the UK
- Yes
- Price from
- £99.99 a month
- Free plan
- none for the hardware; classic Alexa and the Alexa app are free, and Alexa+ is free during UK Early Access and for Prime members after it
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Billed |
|---|---|---|
| Echo Dot Max | £99.99 | one-off |
| Echo Show 8 | £179.99 | one-off |
| Echo Studio | £219.99 | one-off |
| Echo Show 11 | £219.99 | one-off |
| Echo Show adjustable stand | £34.99 | one-off |
What it does
- smart speakers and displays that run Alexa and Alexa+
- Echo Dot Max gives a two-way speaker with deeper bass
- Echo Studio supports spatial audio and Dolby Atmos
- Echo Show 8 and Show 11 add an HD screen and 13MP camera for video calls
- speakers can join a 5.1 home theatre setup
Ratings
What people say
Owners who got an Echo Dot Max or Show 11 with Alexa+ often praise the sound and how much smarter the assistant is. Long-time Echo users in user reviews complain about lag, ads on Echo Show screens and a Show 11 that some found worse than the Show 8. The Alexa app's 3.9 on Google Play from 5.7M ratings is lower than its 4.4 on the App Store.
“I got an Echo Dot Max for Christmas and I'm impressed with the sound quality. I don't have a smart home or anything like that, so Alexa+ blows me away constantly.”
Individual user review, 5 January 2026 · source
“The speakers sound worse, the screen responds worse, everything is worse! I just don't get it.”
Individual user review, 18 December 2025 · source
“Yup, mine sucks too. And it has constant advertising on it.”
Individual user review, 19 December 2025 · source
“Echo Show 11 is my first smart display where I can actually have meaningful conversations with the assistant and not have to wait for a basic internet search”
Post on X, 31 December 2025 · source
“Latest Echo Show 11, literally just came out, and yet every part of the system lags like it's from 2005 or something. And of course you can't disable these annoying "suggestions".”
Post on X, 15 November 2025 · source
Press reviews
- T3 2025-11-24
T3 Recommends: the Echo Dot Max is 'easily the brand's best sounding and looking model yet', though the Alexa app could do with work.
- TechRadar 2025-11-26
Echo Show 11 has a bright screen and decent audio but drops the adjustable display and has no physical camera shutter, 'less for the privacy-conscious'.
- Expert Reviews 2025-11-21
Dot Max is 'a better Echo Dot experience' with good sound for its size and a smart-home hub, but still a bit too expensive.
Privacy
- Trains on your data
- Yes by default. Amazon uses Alexa interactions to train its models and a small sample is reviewed by humans (see the alexa-plus record).
- Opt-out
- Alexa app > Alexa Privacy > Manage Your Alexa Data to stop recordings being used to improve services, or choose not to save recordings. The 'Do Not Send Voice Recordings' local-processing option was removed on 28 Mar 2025, so all requests go to the cloud.
- Retention
- Recordings kept until deleted, or auto-deleted after 3 or 18 months by choice; About Amazon UK says users can change how long recordings are stored in the Alexa app
- Incidents
- FTC/DOJ $25M civil penalty (May 2023) over keeping children's Alexa recordings (COPPA). Mar 2025 removal of local voice processing (The Verge). Echo Show 11 has no physical camera shutter (TechRadar, Nov 2025). No ICO action on Echo found in searches.
- Age limit
- Amazon account holders must be adults; children use Alexa through parent-managed Amazon Kids profiles. Alexa app rated 12+ on the UK App Store.
Official videos
FAQ
Which Echo works with Alexa+ in the UK?
Amazon says the Echo Dot Max, Echo Studio, Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 are built for Alexa+, and buying a new eligible Echo gives immediate Early Access. Owners of other compatible Echos can sign up for an invite.
Does Alexa+ cost extra on an Echo?
Not during UK Early Access. Afterwards it stays free for Prime members and costs £19.99 a month for everyone else.
Are Echo devices always listening?
They listen for the wake word and send audio to Amazon once it is heard. Since March 2025 every request is processed in Amazon's cloud, and recordings are used to improve Alexa unless that is turned off in the Alexa app.
Echo Show 8 or Echo Show 11?
Reviewers found little difference beyond the Show 11's bigger screen, and some user reviews owners say the £179.99 Show 8 sounds and responds better.
Scores are based on published evidence, not lab tests. How we score.
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