Amazon Unveils New Echo Shows, The Smart Home, Apple Stationary Display Rumors
Today’s update will contain some good old-fashioned product strategy talk. We will begin with Amazon, then shift more broadly to the smart home, concluding with my thoughts on some Apple product rumors.
Let’s jump right in.
Amazon Unveils New Echo Shows
Given reports that a revamped Alexa has been pushed off to 2025, Amazon continues to move forward with sporadic hardware releases. The latest release: updated and new stationary smart displays for the home.
In a press release issued yesterday, here’s Amazon:
"When we first added a screen to Echo devices, it changed the way customers interacted with Alexa, combining voice capabilities with glanceable information, to easily view things like the family calendar, reminders, trending news stories, and family photos. Customers particularly loved these devices for household organization and streaming video content. This inspired us to create an entirely new type of smart display with Echo Show 15—a beautiful wall-mountable ambient device that fits in naturally with any home décor and elevated what customers enjoy most about Echo Show and Fire TV.
The response was great—Echo Show 15 has a global star rating of 4.5 on Amazon—but customers told us they wanted better audio quality, and a larger screen to deliver an enhanced entertainment experience and provide even more room to see important information at a glance. So today, we’re upgrading Echo Show 15 and introducing Echo Show 21, our largest Echo Show yet, with nearly double the viewing area of Echo Show 15.”
The 15.6-inch Show 15 ($300) and 21-inch Show 21 ($400) come with wall mounting equipment (wall mount, screws, and anchors). Light brown or white frame accessories that snap on and off are available for $35. A stand for kitchen counters can also be purchased for $100.
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