Amazon launched a host of new Echo Alexa devices at an event in Seattle on 20 September, including a new version of its smart display the Echo Show.
Half tablet half smart speaker, the Show is more powerful than the first generation and boasts an updated design.
Amazon Echo Show 2018 release date
The new Echo Show goes on sale 11 October.
Amazon Echo Show 2018 price
The Echo Show 2 costs £219.99/$229.99, a slight increase on the £199 original.
Amazon Echo Show 2018 specs
It’s all change for the new Echo Show. It has a 10in HD screen, 3in larger and better than the original version.
The design is more attractive with a fabric casing similar to the materials found on the HomePod and Google Home.
With a larger screen comes the attraction of watching TV shows and films using your Amazon Prime subscription, though as a device that runs on mains power it’s not as convenient as a tablet or laptop for this. But improved speakers might convince you otherwise.
Handier is the video call capability so you can call people with Echo Show, Echo Spot or the Alexa app. This is great, but relies on others buying Echo hardware. This still seems at a disadvantage to Google’s smart displays which can call using Duo, an app available easier on all smartphones that connects to your phone number.
The smart display market is still in its infancy but a more useful placement for the Echo Show 2 could be in the kitchen. You can easily watch recipe videos, set timer and add things to a shopping list to be delivered by Amazon.
Amazon says you should be able to yell over the bubbling pots in front of you with eight mics and far field audio capture, as we’ve come to expect from devices like this.
The new Echo Show looks better than the first-gen in many ways with a better screen and speakers. Whether or not you need one is another matter.
Author: Henry Burrell, Phones Editor
Henry is Tech Advisor’s Phones Editor, ensuring he and the team covers and reviews every smartphone worth knowing about for readers and viewers all over the world. He spends a lot of time moving between different handsets and shouting at WhatsApp to support multiple devices at once.