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Amazon’s Echo Show 16 makes Apple’s 7-inch HomeView look puny – is it worth $100+ extra?
Amazon just dropped new smart home gear in response to Apple. Here's how the Echo Show 16 stacks up.
The new Echo Show 16, officially announced today, is a 16-inch smart display with integrated Fire TV, starting at $500. It’s available for preorder and will begin shipping later this year. The standard display will cost $500, while the Nanomatte display will cost $570. Customers who preorder the Echo Show 16 can get $100 off with a discount code shown on the Amazon product page. Amazon said a compatible stand is available for $70, or customers can choose a swivel-and-tilt stand for $125 for more flexible positioning.
Also: Apple’s $299 HomeView smart hub is here: 8 highlights, including the wall model
Amazon said the Echo Show has been its fastest-growing Echo product line, growing more than 25% year over year. While this is Apple’s first rodeo with the newly launched HomeView, Amazon already has a dominant market share in the smart home market, and it’s proving it with sophisticated upgrades. The Echo Show 16 announcement comes just a few weeks after Apple launched its HomeView system on October 13.
The new Echo Show 16 features a 16-inch display with 10% more viewing area than the Echo Show 15 and colors twice as vibrant, Amazon said. The anodized aluminum frame is nearly 40% thinner, too. The audio system is upgraded, with eight custom microwoofers and two tweeters.
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Like the Apple HomeView, the Echo Show 16 can be wall-mounted or used on a stand (purchased separately). Along with the standard screen, the new Echo Show 16 is also available with a Nanomatte display, which features the same advanced anti-glare technology used in the Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro. The Nanomatte technology results in more than 90% less glare and 50% less sparkle, even in direct sunlight or under bright kitchen lights, according to Amazon.
The Echo Show 16’s built-in camera features a new wide-angle 13-megapixel lens, offering the widest field of view on any Echo Show. Amazon said this doubles the range of Visual ID from 8 to 17 feet, so Alexa can identify you from farther away. There’s also night vision for the first time.
The Echo Show 16 has 20% more computing power, and Amazon said the Omnisense sensor fusion technology combines room-temperature sensors with improved presence detection, so Alexa can turn up the thermostat when the room is too cold or turn on the lights when you enter. Amazon’s Fire TV is also built in, meaning you can stream content from your Echo Show all in one place.
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