Which of the large Echo Show models should you buy?
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Amazon quietly refreshed its Echo Show line up in the middle of November, the day before it kicked off its Black Friday deals. Coincidence? We suspect not. The Echo Show 15 replaces the previous Echo Show 15 model, which hasn’t been available for some time, while the Echo Show 21 is new to the Echo Show line up and offers the biggest Echo screen yet.
Which is the right Echo Show for you if you are looking for a big screen Echo, though? Well don’t worry, that’s where we are here . We’ve compared the new Echo Show 15 and the Echo Show 21 below to help you work out what their differences are – apart from the six inches in screen size of course, and pick the right one for you.
Read this for smaller Echo Shows: Amazon Echo Show 5 vs Echo Show 8
New Echo Show 15 vs Echo Show 21: Price and availability
The Amazon Echo Show 15 and the Amazon Echo Show 21 were both announced on the same day, which if you weren’t paying attention was 20 November, 2024. They were made available immediately in both the US and the UK so you can buy them now.
The Echo Show 15 costs $299.99 / £299.99 and the Echo Show 21 costs $399.99 / £399.99.
The Echo Show 21 is therefore the more expensive of the two devices, though that is to be expected given it has the larger display. Both come with an Alexa Voice Remote included in the box and both come in one color option only, but you can buy light brown or white frame accessories to change up the look. You can also buy a counter stand as a stand doesn’t come in the box of either.
The frame accessories are $34.99 / £34.99 for the Echo Show 15, or $39.99 / £39.99 for the Echo Show 21. The stand costs $99.99 / £99.99.
New Echo Show 15 vs Echo Show 21: Design and display
The Amazon Echo Show 15 and the Echo Show 21 are almost identical from a design perspective, though they do differ in terms of physical dimensions, of course. The Echo Show 15 measures 410 x 260 x 360mm, while the Echo Show 21 measures 540 x 340 x 380mm.
Both are designed to be wall-mounted and they both come with a black frame, with a screen in the middle surrounded by white bezels. Both also have a camera positioned in the centre at the top when in a horizontal orientation and they both have a privacy slider to shut off the camera.
Along the the top – again when in a horizontal orientation – the Echo Show 15 and the Echo Show 21 both have a volume up and volume down button, and a microphone and camera on/off button, which is in addition to the physical shutter on the camera. Speakers are positioned at the back of the device, and there’s a wall-mount cavity on both, though an adjustable stand can be bought separately for both, as we mentioned.
The Echo Show 15 has a 15.6-inch display with a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. The Echo Show 21 meanwhile has a 21-inch display, also with a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. That means the Echo Show 15 has a slightly more detailed display, offering more pixels per inch, but both screens are designed to be viewed from a distance, rather than up close like a smartphone.
New Echo Show 15 vs Echo Show 21: Features
This is a pretty easy article to write really because all of the features offered by the Echo Show 15 and the Echo Show 21 are the same – it’s only the size and screen size that are different.
They therefore both have a 13-megapixel wide angle camera with auto framing, and both have two 2-inch woofers and two 0.6-inch tweeters for their sound delivery. Amazon has said the Echo Show 15 offers double the bass of the old Echo Show 15 and room adaption technology. We are hoping this is enough to counter the speaker positioning on these two Echo Shows, given that has been an issue in the past.
Noise reduction technology is included too, which should help when you are on a video call but there are things going on in the background, and while on the topic of sound, you can tap to group and play audio across any other Echo devices you have for easy music listening.
Elsewhere, both the Echo Show 15 and the Echo Show 21 have Fire TV built in, allowing you to stream content without having to download separate streaming service apps, and you get a Fire TV remote included with both these Echo Shows too, making for a better experience.
As you might expect, these two Echo Show devices are also designed to be smart home hubs. They are compatible with Matter as controllers and can directly connect with Wi-Fi, Thread, and Zigbee devices, and you can also control your Alexa smart home devices with your voice or a couple of taps on the smart home dashboard.
There is also the option to use widgets to help make it easier to juggle all your family’s appointments and general life admin. Widgets for calendars and shopping lists already exist for the Echo Show 15 and Echo Show 21, but a future update will also allow for sports scores as a widget, news headlines and stock prices.
Other features include the ability to turn your Echo Show 15 or Echo Show 21 into a digital photo frame should you want to, or use it for video calling. There is 3.3x zoom on both the Echo Show 15 and the Echo Show 21 camera, which is 65% more than the older Echo Show 15. It probably goes without saying these days, though we will anyway, the Echo Show 15 and Echo Show 21 offer all the features you would expect from Alexa, including Alexa Routines, Alexa Drop In and Alexa Announcement.
New Echo Show 15 vs Echo Show 21: Performance
We mentioned the audio capabilities of the Echo Show 15 and Echo Show 21 above, but we will need to review both before we can comment on the performance. We suspect the Echo Show 10 may still be the better option if audio quality is your primary concern due to the position of the speakers on the Echo Show 15 and Echo Show 21, but we will confirm when we have reviewed them.
Both the Echo Show 15 and the Echo Show 21 support Wi-Fi 6E, which should allow for faster connectivity if you have a compatible router, and they also both have the same processor running the show (no pun intended).
Camera capabilities should be the same, though the Echo Show 21 gives you that larger screen for viewing video calls. The larger screen will likely also make watching content better on the Echo Show 21.
Read more Echo Show comparisons: Amazon Echo Show 15 vs Echo Show 10
New Echo Show 15 vs Echo Show 21: Which should you buy?
It depends on what you want from your larger Echo Show as to whether you should buy the Echo Show 15 or the Echo Show 21. They both offer exactly the same features in terms of Alexa capabilities, built-in Fire TV, smart home control and the option to add widgets or use as a digital photo frame. They also have the same audio and camera capabilities, and the same processor and Wi-Fi support.
It’s the price, dimensions and screen size where they differ and that’s where you will need to make your decision. The Echo Show 21 is quite a bit more expensive than the Echo Show 15, though watching content will likely be great, as will video calls and managing the various widgets with more fitting on the screen.
The Echo Show 15 will take up less space on a worktop if using a stand, or on your wall, and you’ll save a bit of cash, but it depends on what you’re looking for as to whether it’s the best option over the Echo Show 21.
FAQs
The Echo Show 21, with its larger 21-inch Full HD screen, will likely offer a better experience for video streaming. However, the Echo Show 15 should still deliver a decent experience for catching up on your favorite show while cooking, or watching a recipe video.
Yes, both the Echo Show 21 and the Echo Show 15 are designed for wall mounting, allowing them to act as digital hubs for the home.
Yes, both models have full Alexa support for smart home control, music, video, and more. They also both offer some additional widgets and customizable display options designed to help with household organization.
