Nothing says it is. Just in time for the holidays with a brand new Amazon device. Amazon has been expanding its product lineup left and right this year, from expanding its speaker options with the revived Echo Spot to relaunching the entire Kindle line (with some hiccups). Now the Echo Show family is getting a major update. Literally – it’s adding a massive, 21-inch device to the roster.
The Echo Show 21 ($400) is the latest addition to Amazon’s extensive list of Echo-powered devices, with a 21-inch display. It’s a larger version of the Echo Show 15 ($300), a 15-inch display, which also got its second generation today. If you’re new to the world of smart displays, think of a smart speaker, but add a screen that displays your smart home devices, lets you play music and TV, and has a built-in camera. Let’s make a video call. Both of these new devices promise an upgrade in audio quality over the first-generation Echo Show 15, with more bass and room adaptation technology. This is a smart move, as these large displays sit somewhere between smart displays and small TVs. Amazon includes an Alexa voice remote with both devices so you can use it like a TV.
I’m a little surprised to see that Amazon is expanding its larger Echo Show devices. There are some easy wins, like announcing a new Echo generation or reviving the popular Echo Dot speaker with a watch, especially since the Alexa department has been known to post big losses a few years back. We’ve seen Google and Apple move towards building smart displays from existing devices rather than launching entirely separate devices. But there are rumors of a mountable Apple TV screen, so maybe a new massive Echo Show isn’t out of the blue. If a TV-like smart display sounds up your alley, here are some of the most exciting updates Amazon’s new devices promise.
Stream on
Image: Amazon
Amazon says customer requests for better audio and a bigger screen were behind adding the Show 21 and updating the Echo 15. Amazon had added both of these features. In addition to the 21-by-21-inch screen, it added an extra inch of speakers between the original Echo Show 15 and the new model. In addition, both the Show 21 and 2nd Gen 15 will have two 0.6-inch tweeters and two 2-inch woofers.
It’s still not as impressive in speaker array as other Echo Show devices, with a larger base, allowing for bigger speakers. For example, our favorite Echo Show 8 ($150) has two 2-inch stereo speakers plus a passive bass radiator, and the bulbous Echo Show 10 ($250) has two 1-inch tweeters and a 3-inch woofer. Both the Show 21 and 2nd Gen 15 are limited by their slim profiles, as they’re designed to look like a digital photo frame that doubles as a family calendar and TV device.
But instead, you get big screens—which you’re more likely to mount on your wall like a small TV. Amazon is including its remote for a reason, after all: so you’ll turn to the device not only for your Alexa queries and controlling your smart home, but also for your TV-related needs. . All Echo Show devices offer this, but it’s the larger screens that really make sense to watch something on. I wasn’t too impressed with the experience using the TV features on the original Show 15 — a real TV and streaming device works much better — but I’ll be testing those devices again soon to see if they work. Has the experience improved?
The top also includes a camera and a microphone, so you can use these screens for video calls or as an indoor security camera. Amazon says the Show 21 and 2nd Gen Show 15 have a larger field of view and 65 percent more zoom than the original, and Amazon has added noise reduction technology to clean up blacks. Or, if you don’t want to use the camera, there’s a physical shutter to cover it.
Screen grab
Image: Amazon
The best feature of the original Echo Show 15 was widgets. You can find them on any Echo Show device now, but the Show 15 had them first and still makes the most of them. With a lot more screen real estate than smaller shows, you can really take advantage of what widgets have to offer and make the screen your own. Plus, the Echo Show 15’s screen remains static, so you’re not waiting for your favorite widget to appear in the content carousel.
