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Amazon has announced the Echo Show 16, a 16-inch smart display priced at $499.99, with preorders open and release planned for later this year. A hands-on report describes customizable home screens and household features, but the device’s high price and untested functions leave questions about its value and performance.
Amazon announced the Echo Show 16, a 16-inch Alexa smart display priced at $499.99, and opened preorders ahead of a planned release later this year. A hands-on report from a New York media event describes a larger household hub with customizable screens for family schedules, smart-home controls and photos, though the device’s price is substantially higher than Amazon’s smaller Echo Show models.
The Echo Show 16’s main feature is Screen Styles, a set of home-screen layouts users can choose from: a family organizer, a smart-home dashboard, an Alexa widgets screen or a digital photo frame. The layouts can remain visible or appear when someone approaches, giving users access to information and controls without first asking Alexa by voice. Amazon also added meal planning and a redesigned calendar interface, according to the hands-on report.
The device has a full HD display and a slimmer design than the Echo Show 15 and 21, according to the report. A Nanomatte anti-glare display option costs $569.99. Amazon includes a wall mount; two optional stands are also mentioned in the report. The device runs a MediaTek processor, and its speaker system uses eight custom woofers and two tweeters. The reviewer found the screen bright and responsive and the audio clear, though the sound lacked some depth.
The Show 16 also runs the Fire TV interface and ships with a redesigned Alexa remote. Its ambient display can show photos or Alexa Recommendations; users can also keep the selected home screen visible or skip an ambient screen. Amazon’s incoming Alexa and Echo vice president, Aidan Marcuss, said Recommendations would retain a broad range of content. He confirmed to The Verge that full-screen ads can appear in Recommendations, but said they would not appear on other home screens and that users can turn Recommendations off.
A Higher-Priced Household Hub
The Echo Show 16 marks a shift in emphasis from smart displays as voice-first assistants toward screens meant for regular, glanceable household use. A shared calendar, meal plan, photo display and device controls could make a large screen useful to several people in a home, rather than mainly serving one person’s voice requests. The hands-on report describes those features as the strongest part of the product’s pitch.
That proposition comes at a premium. At $499.99, the Show 16 costs twice as much as Amazon’s $250 Echo Show 11 and $200 more than the new Apple HomeView smart display, according to the source report. The price may narrow its appeal, especially if shoppers do not need a wall-sized screen or the new household tools. Amazon’s preorder discount is $100, but the report does not specify its terms or duration.
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From Voice Assistant to Home Screen
Amazon has added functions to its Echo Show line over time, but the report characterizes earlier models as devices where the screen mainly supplied visual information alongside Alexa’s voice interaction. The Show 16’s selectable home screens put persistent visual access to calendars, photos and controls closer to the center of the experience.
The hardware also shares development work with Amazon’s new Alexa Tablet Pro 12. Amazon head of devices and services Panos Panay told The Verge that “a lot of the same work went into this as the tablet.” The report says the two products share the optional Nanomatte display and that the Show 16 uses a MediaTek processor rather than Amazon’s AZ3 chip. The Echo Show 16 is thinner than the Echo Show 15 or 21, while its large size may make it awkward on some counters.
“The Alexa Recommendations screen “will continue to offer the broad variety of content, just as it does now.””
— Aidan Marcuss, incoming vice president of Alexa and Echo, speaking to The Verge
Performance and Pricing Questions
The hands-on report was based on time with the device at a media event, not a full review. The reviewer did not test whether the Show 16’s four microphones improve Alexa recognition in its larger form factor. The report also does not provide battery details or a complete specification list, and Amazon’s release date is described only as later this year.
How much the device will cost after any preorder promotion, and how long the stated $100 discount will remain available, are not specified. The report also notes that Alexa Recommendations can show full-screen ads, but does not establish how frequently they appear. Amazon says users can disable that screen; how the other layouts perform over longer-term household use remains to be assessed.
Preorders Before Later-Year Release
Customers can preorder the Echo Show 16 now, with Amazon planning to release it later this year. The standard version costs $499.99 with a wall mount, while the Nanomatte option is listed at $569.99. The source report also cites a $100 preorder discount but gives no deadline or eligibility details.
Further hands-on testing and a full review will be needed to evaluate microphone performance, the usefulness of the new household interface and whether the screen’s size suits everyday rooms. Amazon has not provided a more specific release date in the supplied report.
Key Questions
How much does the Amazon Echo Show 16 cost?
The standard Echo Show 16 is priced at $499.99, with a wall mount included. The Nanomatte display option costs $569.99. The source report also mentions a $100 preorder discount but does not state its duration or terms.
What is new about the Echo Show 16?
Its main addition is Screen Styles, which let users select a family organizer, smart-home dashboard, Alexa widgets screen or photo frame. Amazon also highlights calendar and meal-planning features, plus Fire TV access.
When will the Echo Show 16 be released?
Amazon says the device is expected later this year. The report does not give a specific launch date.
Can the Echo Show 16 display ads?
According to Aidan Marcuss, full-screen ads may appear on the Alexa Recommendations ambient screen. He told The Verge that ads would not appear on other home-screen layouts and that users can turn Recommendations off.
Has the Echo Show 16’s Alexa performance been tested?
The source is a hands-on report, not a full review. Its author said they did not test the four microphones to determine whether Alexa can hear better in this form factor.
Source: theverge.com
