Smart displays have promised to run our whole house for years. In practice, I mostly use them as fancy kitchen timers or home security monitors. Amazon’s newest one wants to change the mindset, and it comes with a serious price tag.
The company just unveiled the Echo Show 16. It is a 16-inch smart display, and thanks to built-in Fire TV, it works as a small TV and not only a kitchen timer. The standard version costs $499.99, and the anti-glare version costs $569.99. Pre-orders get $100 off, and the device ships later this year.
What is new on the Echo Show 16?
I will start with the screen, where the most meaningful change is. The display is about 10% bigger than the Echo Show 15’s, yet it sits in an aluminum frame that is nearly 40% thinner. In simpler terms, the bezels are much slimmer.
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An optional Nanomatte finish comes next. It etches a fine texture into the glass, and Amazon claims it cuts glare by more than 90%. Reflections from a window or ceiling lights often ruin kitchen displays, so that sounds great.
The camera also gets night vision, a first for an Echo Show. That is handy and a little unnerving at the same time. I am glad Amazon includes a physical kill switch for the microphone and camera.
Amazon Echo Show 16 Features and Price
Here is where Amazon’s ambition really shows. The Echo Show 16 comes with three new Screen Styles. They turn the home screen into a smart home dashboard, a family organizer, or a photo frame. The box also includes a remote.
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Alexa+, Amazon’s upgraded AI assistant, can now build interactive visuals instead of giving you a transcript. A comparison chart while you shop beats a wall of text. Now for the fine print, and fair warning, it will sting.
Those visuals need Alexa+. It comes with a Prime membership, or you pay $20 a month. The Echo Show Stand costs extra, at $69.99, or $124.99 for the swivel-and-tilt model. Add the anti-glare model and that stand, and the total comes close to $695 before the pre-order discount.
