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.
An Above Avalon membership is required to continue reading this update. Members can read the full update here. (Members: Daily Updates are accessible via the archive. If you haven’t logged into the archive before, fill out this form to receive an invite.)
Above Avalon Membership
Choose either a monthly or annual membership. Payment is hosted by MoonClerk and secured by Stripe. Apple Pay and other mobile payment options are accepted. After signup, use this link to update your payment information and membership status at any time. Contact me with any questions.
Contact me directly if you would like to purchase multiple subscriptions (five or more) for your team or company.
An audio version of the newsletter is available to members who have the podcast add-on attached to their membership. More information about the podcast add-on is found here. Special Inside Orchard bundle pricing is available for Above Avalon members. Additional membership customization is available via the Financial Models add-ons.
Amazon’s Product Event, Missing Amazon Buzz
The update goes over Neil’s thoughts on Amazon’s product event at HQ2 in Virginia.
Hello everyone.
Following Apple’s product event last week, Amazon and Microsoft held their respective fall product events this week. Today’s update will be focused on Amazon’s event. We will cover Microsoft’s event next week.
Let’s jump right in.
Amazon’s Product Event
Heading into Amazon’s event (video here), expectations were muted. Back in August, David Limp, who has been overseeing Amazon’s consumer gadget strategy for years, announced he was leaving the company.
Late last year, Amazon announced that it was refocusing its HW efforts as part of a broader expense reduction initiative that impacted the entire company. Said another way, CEO Andy Jassy was going to adjust Limp’s portfolio. It wasn’t likely that Amazon would announce products this week that would shock and awe.
An Above Avalon membership is required to continue reading this update. Members can read the full update here. An audio version of this update is available to members who have the podcast add-on attached to their membership. More information about the podcast add-on is found here.
(Members: Daily Updates are always accessible by logging into Slack. If you haven’t logged into Slack before, fill out this form to receive an invite.)
Above Avalon Membership
Payment is processed and secured by Stripe. Apple Pay and other mobile payment options are accepted. Special Inside Orchard bundle pricing is available for Above Avalon members.
More information about Above Avalon membership, including the full list of benefits and privileges, is available here.