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Amazon announced the Echo Show 16, a 16-inch-class smart display priced at $499.99, with preorders open and release planned for later this year. A hands-on report found its customizable Screen Styles and household tools promising, but the device’s price and some features still need fuller testing.
Amazon has announced the Echo Show 16, a large Alexa smart display priced at $499.99, and opened preorders ahead of a release later this year. A hands-on report by The Verge describes a new customizable home-screen system and expanded family and smart-home tools, making the device a more ambitious household hub than Amazon’s earlier displays.
The Show 16’s main new feature is Screen Styles, which lets owners set the display to a family organizer, smart-home dashboard, Alexa widgets or digital photo frame. Amazon says the selected screen can stay visible or appear when someone approaches. The options are designed to put information such as a calendar, meal plan and device controls on screen without requiring a voice request.
The device has a Full HD display and can run the full Fire TV interface. The Verge’s reviewer, who handled the Show 16 at a New York media event, reported that the screen looked bright and clear and responded well. The built-in speaker system uses eight custom woofers and two tweeters; the reviewer said it sounded clear and loud, though with limited depth. The hands-on did not test whether the display’s four microphones improve Alexa’s ability to hear commands.
Amazon lists a $569.99 Nanomatte version, an anti-glare display upgrade, and says a wall mount is included. Two optional stands are also available. The Verge reported a $100 preorder discount, but the source material does not specify all conditions for the offer. The device also has a 13-megapixel wide-angle camera with infrared, and the report says it enables night vision. Amazon has not yet provided a full public account of every feature or use case in the supplied announcement details.
A Screen Designed for Household Routines
The Show 16 puts a larger emphasis on the display as a place to check information and manage a home, rather than as a screen that mainly supplements Alexa voice responses. A visible family calendar, meal planning tools and smart-home controls could make the device useful to several household members throughout the day, if the software works as intended in everyday use.
That proposition comes with a high asking price. At $499.99, the Show 16 costs twice as much as Amazon’s $250 Echo Show 11, according to the supplied report, and $200 more than Apple’s new HomeView display. Those comparisons make the purchase decision about more than screen size: buyers will need to weigh the new interface and household functions against less expensive devices. The hands-on offers an early impression, not a full assessment of value or long-term performance.
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From Voice Assistant to Home Hub
Amazon’s Echo Show line combines Alexa with a screen, but the supplied report describes earlier models as primarily voice-first devices, with visuals supporting the assistant. The Show 16 appears to build on features Amazon has added over time by giving owners more control over what remains visible on the display.
The device also shares design and engineering 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 Show 16 uses a MediaTek processor rather than Amazon’s AZ3 chip, according to the report, and has an optional anti-glare screen. It is thinner than the Echo Show 15 and Show 21, with slimmer bezels, though the reviewer said its size could make it awkward on a kitchen counter.
““[Alexa Recommendations] 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
Price, Ads and Features Still to Test
The Show 16 has only been assessed in a limited hands-on setting, so its performance in regular household use remains unknown. The reviewer did not test the four-microphone arrangement, and the report does not establish how well the device handles voice commands from across a room or how reliably its approach-activated screen responds.
Amazon says Alexa Recommendations may show a range of content and can include ads. Marcuss confirmed to The Verge that full-screen ads can appear on that screen, but said they will not appear on other home screens and that users can turn Alexa Recommendations off. The source does not spell out every setting or explain what the default experience will be. The exact release date, preorder-discount terms and the final performance of the household software are also not specified.
Release and Full Reviews Ahead
Preorders are open, and Amazon says the Echo Show 16 is due to ship later this year. A specific release date is not provided in the source material. Further testing will be needed to judge the interface, microphone performance, camera features, sound and value outside a brief media-event demonstration.
Buyers considering the display can compare the standard model with the $569.99 Nanomatte option, check the terms of any preorder discount and decide whether they want a wall-mounted unit or an optional stand. More details from Amazon, including a firm shipping date and fuller feature information, would clarify what customers will receive at launch.
Key Questions
How much does the Amazon Echo Show 16 cost?
The standard model is listed at $499.99, with a wall mount included. The Nanomatte display option is listed at $569.99. The supplied report also mentions a $100 preorder discount but does not give its full terms.
When will the Echo Show 16 be released?
Amazon says it will be released later this year. A specific shipping date is not included in the source material, though preorders are open.
What are Screen Styles?
Screen Styles are customizable home screens for a family organizer, smart-home dashboard, Alexa widgets or digital photo frame. The selected screen can remain visible or appear when someone approaches, according to the report.
Does the Echo Show 16 display ads?
Amazon’s Alexa Recommendations ambient screen can include ads, and Aidan Marcuss told The Verge that full-screen ads may appear there. He said ads will not appear on other home screens and users can turn off Alexa Recommendations.
Has the Echo Show 16 been fully tested?
No. The available account is a limited hands-on report from a media event. It describes the screen and sound but says the reviewer did not test whether the microphones hear Alexa commands better.
Source: theverge.com
