Amongst the many new Amazon hardware announcements, the company also revealed its biggest smart display yet, the Echo show 15.
This giant display was touted on stage as being a good family hub and a kitchen TV. Beyond being able to be well-mounted, its main gimmick is that it also has a new software widget feature. This allows users to write digital sticky notes, check the weather at a glance and other valuable tools.
Notably, the shared calendar on the device is likely quite useful for families. I’ll also say that I use my smart displays more when they’re moved up to bar height or shoulder height, so I think that the fact that this can be wall-mounted is a really smart call.
The smart display has a 15.6-inch screen, but Amazon hasn’t shared what the PPI is yet, but I’d assume it will be above 1080p, which should be alright for a device of this size.
The device also has a webcam in its frame, which looks suspiciously like a Facebook Portal, that can recognize who’s using it and tailer what it’s showing to them. This replicates Amazon’s existing voice recognition services that it uses on its other smart displays but allows it to use it without having the user talk. While this makes sense since the sizeable 15-inch tablet is very touchable, it’s also likely a privacy concern for some.
The device also has Amazon’s new AZ2 processor, so it should be the fastest smart display the company has so far. This sounds like a meaningless spec on smart displays, but anyone using an older laggy smart display or in-car screen will know that lag can create a frustrating experience.
The device is listed for $249 USD (roughly, 349 CAD). It’s unclear if this device is launching in Canada.
More to come…