Amazon has unveiled a plethora of new products during its latest launch event. New video doorbells and wearables aside, there are a couple of standout products that caught our eye – the first of which is the new Amazon Echo Show 15.
With a 15.6-inch, Full HD screen, the Echo Show 15 is the largest and sharpest Echo Show device to date. Designed to be mounted on the wall or propped up on a table in either orientation, Amazon wants this smart device to be the new heart of your home.
To achieve this lofty ambition, the Echo Show 15 comes complete with Amazon’s next-gen AZ2 Neural Edge processor which will offer more grunt than previous devices. It’ll presumably be more than up to the task of powering a new, redesigned home screen, which shows you important information in the form of various widgets, while also letting you view connected smart doorbells and security cameras.
As with other Echo Show devices, you can watch videos from the likes of YouTube, Netflix and Prime Video too, with dual 1.6-inch full-range drivers taking care of the sound. At this size, it should make for a more comfortable experience than the 10-inch Echo Show 10, essentially putting the Show 15 into the same category as your average notebook.
Naturally the built-in camera (for video calls and photos) has a built-in privacy cover, and is used in conjunction with voice ID to recognise different family members and show them relevant information such as their appointments, reminders, recently played music and more. The Amazon Echo Show 15 will be available soon for £239.99 ($249.99, AU$399).
Two other products that stood out front the announcements are the Astro, and Amazon Glow. The former is a robot that trundles around your house, letting you check out your abode while you’re away. Powered by Alexa, we’ll leave it to you to decide whether or not it’s a brilliant futuristic companion or just a little terrifying.
Amazon Glow, on the other hand, is a more subdued but still ambitious product, combining what’s best described as a vertical 8-inch screen on a stand, with a built-in projector. Aimed at families who want to stay in touch with their children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and more, the projector provides 19 inches of virtual screen which can be used to play games with other callers, who can interact with you via a free Amazon Glow app.
Astro will cost $1,449.99, but as part of Amazon’s Day 1 Editions program, it’ll be available for an introductory price of $999.99, with a six-month trial of Ring Protect Pro thrown in to boot. Those interested in the Glow can request an invitation to be a part of the early access Glow program starting today at www.amazonglow.com. Both products are currently US-only at the time of writing.
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