by Juli Clover
Amazon today announced the launch of two new Echo Show devices, both of which have large displays. The Echo Show 15 has a 15-inch display and is a replacement for the original Echo Show 15, while the even bigger Echo Show 21 has a 21-inch display. For those unfamiliar with the Echo Show, it is Amazon’s smart home control device, serving as a way to control smart home products.
According to Amazon, the Echo Show 21 has nearly double the viewing area of the Echo Show 15. Like other Echo Show products, it can be used for video calls, watching videos, accessing news, managing family calendars, controlling smart home products, viewing photos, and more.
The Amazon Echo Show is compatible with Matter as a controller, and it can connect directly to Wi-Fi, Thread, and Zigbee devices. Amazon’s personal assistant, Alexa, is also included for voice-based smart home controls.
Amazon has been making various Echo Show devices for quite some time, and next year, Apple plans to offer a competing product. Apple’s smart home “command center” is expected to feature many of the same capabilities as the Echo Show.
It will include a camera for FaceTime, plus it will control HomeKit and Matter devices. Internal speakers will allow for playing music, and it will have Apple apps like Calendar, Photos, Apple News, Apple Music, and Notes. The device won’t be as big as Amazon’s Echo Show, though, with Apple planning for a six-inch square display.
The upcoming Apple smart home device will have integrated Siri support with Apple Intelligence, and it will have a customizable home screen with widgets that can show things like the weather, upcoming appointments, and important home controls. Built-in sensors will be able to tell when a person is near, and Apple plans to offer both desktop and wall mounting solutions. Multiple hubs could be used throughout the home as intercoms as well.
It’s not clear how Apple plans to price the home hub, but Amazon’s Echo Show 15 costs $300, and the Echo Show 21 costs $400. Smaller versions are priced as low as $90.
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