Amazon announces smart home hub Echo Show

ByMunyaradzi Mafaro

Amazon has announced the Echo Show 21, a smart home hub with a 21-inch full-HD display. The hub can serve as a monitor with Fire TV, a video calling device, a digital photo frame, and a controller for smart home devices via Matter.

According to Amazon, the screen can be operated in portrait and landscape and has a 16:9 ratio and a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. The hub has an unspecified eight-core soc and an Amazon AZ2 npu. The device is 54x33cm and weighs 4.8 kilograms.

Amazon ships the hub with a remote control. The device runs Fire OS, which is also on its Fire TV devices and TVs. This allows the monitor to be used as a TV, with support for apps from many streaming services.

Like other Echo Show devices, the 21 has sliders on top to block the camera and mute the microphone. The hub can be placed on a stand or mounted on a wall. The Echo Show 21 is available immediately and costs $399 in the US. A new version of the Echo Show 15 with a 15-inch screen is also available, priced at $299. It follows the device of the same name from 2021.

Munyaradzi Mafaro is a music enthusiast and he also likes to tackle topics of business, productivity, and the possibilities for growth in the digital world.