Amazon released the Echo Show 15 smart display three years ago, and the device has become popular as a wall-mounted electronic personal calendar for families. You can glance at items as you walk by, from appointments to reminders, news stories, photos, and more. Now, Amazon has gone even bigger with the new Echo Show 21.
As the name implies, this monitor-sized smart display measures 21 inches versus 15 inches with the Echo Show 15, with nearly double the viewing area. Both the new Echo Show 21 as well as a revamped version of the Echo Show 15 boast audio improvements over the previous-gen model with double the bass and room adaption technology. Additionally, auto-framing has been upgraded for improved video calls, with more than double the field-of-view and 65% more zoom. You can easily move around the kitchen, for example, while remaining in frame on a video call. There’s also noise reduction technology as a new feature.
Both devices have a built-in smart home hub, so they’re compatible with Matter as controllers and can directly connect with Wi-Fi-, Thread, and Zigbee devices. They can also control a range of devices locally, such as lights, switches, and plugs. Plus, these are the first Echo devices with Wi-Fi 6E, making experiences like Fire TV video and music streaming smoother.
As with the previous generation model, you choose top widgets you want to persistently display on the screen, showcasing the most important information for your family. This might be dates and times for sports practices for the kids, for example, pertinent appointments, shopping lists, and to-do chores. You can create and manage calendar events with Alexa.
Access Fire TV apps to stream movies and TV shows from sources like Netflix, Disney+, and YouTube. You might want to watch the evening news while making dinner, for example, or follow a YouTube cooking video while experimenting with a new recipe. You can see personalized video recommendations and quickly access favourite streaming apps right from the home screen. Start watching Prime Video on Echo Show 15 or 21 while cooking dinner, for example, and seamlessly move it to your living room Fire TV to finish while eating.
The refreshed audio hub displays music, podcast, and radio content from providers, all in one place. Tap to group and play audio across Echo speakers, so you could start a song in the kitchen, for example, then addyour living room and bedroom Echo devices on the fly.
When mounted on the wall, the Echo Show looks like a picture frame and can be used to display a rotating slideshow of images as well. Say “Alexa, start photo frame” to turn your home screen into a digital slideshow. Prime members get unlimited, full-resolution photo storage with Amazon Photos.
With the new integrated smart home hub, Echo Show 15 and 21 make it easy to set up and control compatible devices with your voice or a few taps to manage smart home favourites. Easily turn on all your living room lights at once, view camera feeds, and more.
The Amazon Echo Show 21 is available for $550 and the new version of the Amazon Echo Show 15 is $400. Both ship with an Alexa Voice Remote and wall mounting equipment. You can further customize your Echo Show 15 or 21 to fit your home décor with light brown or white frame accessories that snap around the edges ($50 for Echo Show 15 and $57 for Echo Show 21), or purchase a premium counter stand at $135 for either device.