The Echo Show 15, which is Amazon's largest smart display to date, is now available to pre-order and will ship on December 9. The device, which can be wall-mounted or placed on a counter (providing you purchase an additional stand), was first unveiled at the brand’s hardware event in September this year and is priced at $249 / £239.99 / AU$399. The additional stand is priced at $29.99 / £29.99 / AU$49.99.
True to its name, the Echo Show 15 has a 15.6-inch touchscreen and is designed to act as a family hub by displaying calendars and your shopping list, while also letting you leave digital sticky notes for the rest of the household. Just like Amazon's other smart displays, the built-in camera can be used for video calls or double as a home security camera.
As you’d expect, the Echo Show 15 can also be used to watch movie streaming services such as Netflix and Prime Video on the display, as well as listening to your favorite tracks through the built-in speaker, which has dual 1.6-inch drivers.
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Opinion: Amazon’s new smart display wants to be your personal assistant
In our eyes, Amazon is trying to give us all our own personal assistants with the Echo Show 15. The built-in camera doesn’t just provide a way to make video calls, Amazon says it also enables a ‘Visual ID’ feature that will recognize the user standing in front of it and tailor the information on screen to that person.
Once you’ve set up the feature, as soon as you face the smart display you’ll be shown a custom greeting, along with any reminders or calendar appointments, and even notes that others in the household have left you. It’s the digital equivalent of having a personal assistant greet you at the front door and hand over your messages.
While for some, the idea of a personal assistant for the home might be the ultimate luxury, for others - including this writer - it's a step too far. Not only does it give the home a more office-style vibe, which doesn’t help create the relaxing atmosphere I actually want in my own property, but the sticky notes feature is also likely to reduce my interaction with others in the household.
I’d much rather remind my other half to take the bins out face-to-face, as then I can do it with a smile and a kiss to soften the blow of pointing out he needs to get his chores done - that’s just not something a digital sticky note will let me do. So, I for one, won’t be jumping to pre-order the Echo Show 15. Here’s hoping the other smart display brands on the market don’t follow suit and turn these handy devices into virtual PAs.
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