ZDNET’s key takeaways:
- Amazon just released new Echo products, including the Echo Show 16.
- Most advanced yet with 16 inches, Fire TV, and Nanomatte or standard display.
- Screen Styles offer a family planner, smart home dashboard, or photo frame.
The new Echo Show 16, officially announced today, is a 16-inch smart display with integrated Fire TV, starting at $500. It’s available for preorder and will begin shipping later this year. The standard display will cost $500, while the Nanomatte display will cost $570. Customers who preorder the Echo Show 16 can get $100 off with a discount code shown on the Amazon product page. Amazon said a compatible stand is available for $70, or customers can choose a swivel-and-tilt stand for $125 for more flexible positioning.
Also: The 4 biggest Amazon smart home announcements from today
Echo Show 16 specs: Display, audio, and camera upgrades
The new Echo Show 16 features a 16-inch display with 10% more viewing area than the Echo Show 15 and colors twice as vibrant, Amazon said. The anodized aluminum frame is nearly 40% thinner, too. The audio system is upgraded, with eight custom microwoofers and two tweeters.
Also: Alexa Tablet 12 Pro review: Forget everything you knew about Amazon tablets
Like the Apple HomeView, the Echo Show 16 can be wall-mounted or used on a stand (purchased separately). Along with the standard screen, the new Echo Show 16 is also available with a Nanomatte display, which features the same advanced anti-glare technology used in the Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro. The Nanomatte technology results in more than 90% less glare and 50% less sparkle, even in direct sunlight or under bright kitchen lights
The Echo Show 16’s built-in camera features a new wide-angle 13-megapixel lens, offering the widest field of view on any Echo Show. Amazon said this doubles the range of Visual ID from 8 to 17 feet, so Alexa can identify you from farther away. There’s also night vision for the first time.
Echo Show 16 features: Smart home, Fire TV, and Alexa+
The Echo Show 16 has 20% more computing power, and Amazon said the Omnisense sensor fusion technology combines room-temperature sensors with improved presence detection, so Alexa can turn up the thermostat when the room is too cold or turn on the lights when you enter. Amazon’s Fire TV is also built in, meaning you can stream content from your Echo Show all in one place.
Also: What is Alexa+? Everything Amazon’s generative AI can do — and how to get it today
The new Echo Show 16 also supports Alexa+, meaning your device will help Alexa hold more natural conversations, reason more deeply, ask clarifying questions, and coordinate across more sources at once to handle multistep requests
Echo Show 16 vs. Apple HomeView: Which should you buy?
If you’re wondering if the Echo Show 16 or the Apple HomeView is the better investment in your home, I have some candid advice. You probably don’t need either — if you’re not lusting after the latest and greatest in the Apple ecosystem, skipping the HomeView makes the most financial sense, at least now, while compatibility remains slim and other products in Apple’s lineup remain costly.
But even if you’re all in on Amazon’s systems and already comfortable with them, chances are the previous Echo Show 15 or another model may suit your daily needs just fine — and will likely see discounts this holiday season.
Also:Apple HomeView vs Amazon Echo Show 8: Which smart home hub is right for you?
If you’re really set on the Echo Show 16 or the Apple HomeView, I’d choose Amazon’s Echo Show all the way, especially if you’re already comfortable with Amazon’s systems. Echo Show devices are tried-and-true smart home products, compatible with most other devices and systems on the market, and often much more affordable, with sale prices at select times of year. There’s no reason to pay the Apple brand markup for your home when so many of us already do for our phones and other gadgets. There’s a reason Echo devices have perhaps the strongest hold on the smart home market, and I don’t see that changing soon.
