There must be someone out there who thinks a 15-inch display doesn’t fit their lifestyle. Otherwise, Amazon would have no reason to introduce the new 21-inch Echo Show, the largest of its smart screens. The giant display acts as a smart home hub for all your Fire TVs and Alexa-related products, and it wants to completely absorb your kitchen countertop space.
Amazon says the 2024 Echo Show 21 and Echo Show 15 have improved sound with enhanced bass and an upgraded camera. Poor sound and camera quality were our biggest complaints about the previous device, so it’s good to see that Amazon has listened to the criticism.
The new camera on the Echo Show should have a wider field of view and a better 3.3x zoom so you can get your cup in the frame during video calls. You’ll also be able to hear your friends and family better thanks to an improved noise cancellation algorithm. However, the improved features come with a price hike: The old Echo Show 15 model cost $250, the new one $300, and the 21-inch version costs a whopping $400. At this price, you are already close to the cost of a solid 55-inch TV, such as the TCL QM7 QLED.
However, the 21-inch screen is on the borderline between a portable TV and a tablet. It may be the “golden” size for some, but in a small kitchen, it will likely take up most of the remaining space. In this case, the Echo Show 5 or Echo Show 8 is still a better choice. The 21-inch version will be better for watching TV, which can be especially convenient if you have a Prime account and use Fire TV.
Both 2024 Echo Show devices use the same Alexa-powered smart home hub with calendars and weather widgets. It is also effective for controlling any of your devices connected to Echo or Matter. It comes with Thread and Zigbee radios for connectivity, so you can connect it to smart lights or smart sockets. Both the 15 and 21 models use WiFi 6E so that you can watch Netflix streaming without sitting in front of the TV. Otherwise, you can mount it on a stand to make it work as a massive smart photo frame. Both the 15 and 21 models come with the Alexa voice remote.
There are two color options for the optional bezel: light brown or white, but you’ll need to spend an extra $35 for the Echo Show 15 or an extra $40 for the Echo Show 21. For the stand, you need to pay another $100, which is already a lot for what is still just a smart display and a smart home hub.
Last year, Amazon released several other Echo smart home products, including the Echo Hub, which is more like a control panel for setting up all of your smart home devices. It’s a better form factor for most people. It doesn’t have a camera or a big enough screen for streaming, but it only costs $180, which seems like a bargain compared to the new Echo Show.
