Amazon 'Echo Show' Unveiled With Video Calling, Dual Speakers And 7-inch Touch Display
However, where the Echo Show advances the field is with its built-in 7-inch color touch screen. The touch screen makes the Echo Show a lot more functional than its predecessors, allowing it to display things like full weather forecasts, calendar information, and playback multimedia content like YouTube clip or Amazon Prime Video. And if you need lyrics to that song that is playing courtesy of Amazon Music, you can have those flashed on the screen as you jam out in the kitchen (this is a particularly useful tool for old school Pearl Jam songs).
Naturally, the Echo Show can also serve as a digital picture frame by pulling in picture from your Prime Photos account. And the Echo Show of course has tight integration with Alexa’s robust smart home ecosystem, which means that you can display a video feed from security cameras located throughout your house on the display screen. So, giving the command “Alexa, show the front door camera” could give you an instant feed of that door-to-door salesman trying to sell you 40 subscriptions to Vibe.
But that’s not all; the most talked about feature of the Echo Show will likely be its video calling functionality. Video calls can be initiated hands-free to friends or relatives that also have an Echo show, or a mobile device with the Alexa app installed. “When you’re busy making dinner, just ask Alexa to place a call from your Echo Show to anyone with a supported Echo device or the Alexa App,” explains Amazon. “You can also enable a new feature called Drop In for the special cases when you want to connect with your closest friends and family. For example, you can drop in to let the family know it’s time for dinner, see the baby’s nursery, or check in with a close relative.”
Your video calls (and music) should come in crystal clear on the Bluetooth-enabled Echo Show thanks to its dual stereo speakers that feature Dolby processing technology.
The Amazon Echo Show is currently available for pre-order at $229.99. It is available in black or white and will ship to customers on June 28th. However, if you purchase two Echo Shows and use the coupon code SHOW2PACK at checkout, you’ll get an instant $100 off the price of the pair, bringing your total outlay to $359.98.
