Bigger is better, right? Guess we’re about to find out, as Amazon has unveiled its biggest Echo Show display yet.
A larger version of the recently updated and wall-mountable version of the Echo Show 15, the Echo Show 21 is billed as Amazon’s largest Alexa-powered display—and really, we’re hard-pressed to think of a smarter display, period. The 27-inch, Wi-Fi-connected Skylight Calendar Max ($600) is even bigger, but it’s designed for keeping track of appointments, to-do lists, activity charts, meal planning, shopping lists, and more. It doesn’t have an internal camera or speakers, either.
As for the new Echo Show displays, they don’t stray far from the overall design of the original Echo Show 15, which was first announced in 2021.
This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart speakers.
Marking the first wall-mountable Echo Show, the Echo Show 15 was perfect for the kitchen, coming with jumbo-sized widgets and a screen big enough for extended video streaming.
But in our 2022 review of the Echo Show 15, we exposed it for its subpar sound, low-resolution display panel, and lack of a Zigbee hub, the omission of which knocked the unit down a peg compared to the Zigbee-packing Echo, Echo Plus, Echo Studio, and Echo Show 10.
The new Echo Show 15 and 21 monitors ($299.99 and $399.99, respectively) both tackle sound issues head-on, with Amazon promising double the bass (courtesy of twin 2-inch woofers) and “room adaptation” technology that adjusts the sound to match the room’s ambience.
The new Echo Show 15 and 21 come with improved sound, better Wi-Fi, and more.
Amazon
In terms of video quality, Amazon’s answer is simply size, with the jumbo Echo Show 21 offering almost twice the screen area of the smaller Echo Show 15. It’s not bad, but at 1920 x 1080 pixels, the 21-inch Echo Show has the same screen resolution as its smaller sibling. That said, both displays carry support for Fire TV apps like YouTube, Paramount+, Peacock, and Max. Users will also be able to watch morning news segments from CBS News, FOX News Channel, or NBC News.
Finally, both the Echo Show 15 and 21 pack both Zigbee and Thread radios, enabling them to act as smart hubs for Matter. That plugs a glaring hole in the Echo Show 15’s original feature set, which lets you control Alexa-compatible devices, but relies on a separate hub for anything other than Wi-Fi control.
The new Echo Show displays boast other improvements worth mentioning, including an auto-framing camera with double the field of view and 65 percent zoom, while new noise reduction technology should make for better-sounding video calls.
The Echo Show 15 and 21 also mark the first Amazon Echo devices equipped with Wi-Fi 6E, perfect for seamless video and audio streaming.
Both feature a vessel with wall mounting hardware, while the frame accessory (light brown or white) retails for $34.99. There is also a “premium” counter stand available for $99.99.
We’ll have full reviews of the Amazon Echo Show 15 and 21 once we’ve spent some quality time with the new displays, so stay tuned.