ZDNET’s key takeaways:
- Amazon has just released new Echo products, including the Echo Show 16.
- The most advanced still 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 is available for pre-order and will launch later this year. The standard display will cost $500, while the nanomatte display will cost $570. Customers who pre-order the Echo Show 16 can get a $100 discount using a discount code 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: Today’s 4 Biggest Amazon Smart Home Announcements
Echo Show 16 specs: display, audio, and camera upgrades
The new Echo Show 16 has 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 also almost 40% thinner. The audio system is updated, 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 mounted on the wall 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 has 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 glare, even in direct sunlight or under bright kitchen lights, according to Amazon.
The Echo Show 16’s built-in camera has a new wide-angle 13-megapixel lens that offers 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 further away. There is 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 raise the thermostat if the room is too cold or turn off 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 +, which means your device will help Alexa hold more natural conversations, reason more deeply, ask clarifying questions and coordinate multiple sources at once to handle multistep requests, according to Amazon.
Echo Show 16 vs Apple HomeView: Which one should you buy?
If you’re wondering whether the Echo Show 16 or the Apple HomeView is the better investment in your home, I have some honest advice. You probably don’t need to either — unless you’re after the latest and greatest in the Apple ecosystem, skipping HomeView makes financial sense, at least for now, while compatibility remains slim and other products in Apple’s lineup remain expensive.
But even if you’re all into Amazon’s systems and already comfortable with them, chances are the previous Echo Show 15 or another model will suit your everyday needs just fine — and will likely see discounts this holiday season.
As well: 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 go for 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 the 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 that Echo devices may have the strongest hold on the smart home market, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
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