With the second-generation Echo Show 15 (2nd Gen), Amazon has refined its smart display lineup. This updated version aims to be the centerpiece of your connected home, combining entertainment, smart home management, and video calling into one sleek package. But with its large 15.6-inch screen, built-in Fire TV, and improved features over its predecessor, does it deliver on its promises? Let’s explore its strengths and weaknesses.
Echo Show 15 (2nd gen)
The new Echo Show 15 is a direct successor to the 2021-released smart display with the same name. It has a 15.6-inch Full HD screen that can be wall-mounted or placed on a stand, making it a perfect addition to any room. With improved audio and a wider field-of-view camera, it’s a great choice for staying organized, entertained, and connected. And enhanced smart home capabilities, thanks to Thread and Zigbee support, mean that you can now control even more smart home devices with the Echo Show 15.
- Built-in smart home protocols (Zigbee, Thread/Matter)
- Remote control for Fire TV included
- Built-in privacy features
- Expensive
- Average audio quality
- Stand is optional ($100)
Price, availability, and specs
A premium price for a high-end device
The second-generation Echo Show 15 (2nd Gen) is a premium model in Amazon’s smart display lineup. Retailing at $300, it sits in the higher price range for smart displays. It’s also primarily built for wall mounting; it ships with a wall mounting plate in the box. However, if you’d rather place it on a countertop or piece of furniture, you’ll need to purchase a stand separately, the original costing a whopping $100.
What’s good about the Echo Show 15 (2nd Gen)?
An all-in-one device with plenty of features
One of the second-gen Echo Show’s key aspects is its 15.6-inch Full HD display. It’s perfect for streaming shows, making video calls, or even serving as a digital photo frame. Its size is ideal for shared spaces like the kitchen or living room, providing a balance between functionality and visual appeal.
In addition, the Echo Show 15 (2nd Gen) has built-in Fire TV functionality, so content from services like Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video can be streamed without a separate device. The included Fire TV remote also makes it easier to interact with the Echo Show 15 (2nd Gen), especially if you’re not close to the display.
The Echo Show 15 (2nd Gen) also brings a few improvements over its predecessor. A faster processor is among these enhancements, which makes navigating through menus, opening apps, and the overall experience noticeably smoother. This also has an impact on Alexa’s responsiveness and the Fire TV interface’s overall performance. The renewed camera and video calling experience is another upgrade, which provides better auto-framing and noise reduction during video calls.
Read our review
In addition to its entertainment capabilities, the Echo Show 15 (2nd Gen) doubles as a smart home hub. It supports Zigbee, Matter, and Thread protocols, making it easy to connect and control compatible devices, such as lights, plugs, and cameras. You can use voice commands, the touchscreen, or the Alexa app on your smartphone to manage your smart home. This integration eliminates the need for additional hubs while offering extensible compatibility with many smart home devices.
The Echo Show 15 (2nd Gen) also shines with video calling. The built-in 13MP wide-angle camera includes auto-framing, ensuring you stay in focus even if you move around, while noise reduction ensures people hear you clearly. In addition, Amazon has included a mic switch and physical camera shutter, providing extra peace of mind when the camera is not in use.
What’s bad about the Echo Show 15 (2nd Gen)?
It’s expensive and athe udio quality isn’t that great
Despite its many strengths, the Echo Show 15 (2nd Gen) does have its drawbacks. While it offers various mounting options, it only ships with a wall mount. If you prefer a freestanding setup, a stand must be purchased at an additional cost. The original stand costs a whopping $100, but there are cheaper options available from third-party providers.
Also, while the Echo Show 15 (2nd Gen) is a capable smart home hub, its interface is not ideal for controlling smart home devices. Unlike the Echo Hub, it doesn’t include a centralized smart home dashboard. Of course, you can use Alexa voice commands or navigate through menus to control devices, but there’s only a small widget on the home screen dedicated to smart home devices. A proper dashboard leveraging the large screen would have simplified smart home management.
Read our review
Amazon Echo Hub review: A smart display for smart homes
The ultimate hub to control all your smart home devices
The audio quality is another area where the Echo Show 15 (2nd Gen) could do better, despite the upgrades. The dual 1.6-inch speakers are adequate for casual listening, but the bass feels shallow, and clarity diminishes at higher volumes. For a device marketed as a premium product, a more robust sound performance would have been a welcome addition. To be fair, since it’s designed primarily for wall mounting, Amazon had to strike a fair balance between thinness and decent audio quality.
Should you buy it?
Great for those looking for an entertainment hub
The Echo Show 15 (2nd Gen) is a well-designed, feature-packed smart display that serves as an entertainment center and a smart home hub. The combination of a large screen, built-in Fire TV, and compatibility with Zigbee, Matter, and Thread protocols ensures it has something to offer tech enthusiasts and families. However, the improvements over the first-generation model, such as faster performance and enhanced camera capabilities, are probably not enough to justify upgrading.
And the device’s premium price and average audio performance are shortcomings to consider. If you’re primarily looking for a smart home management hub, the more affordable Echo Hub is probably a better fit. But if you’re looking for a sleek, multifunctional device that can anchor your connected home and double as an entertainment hub, the Echo Show 15 (2nd Gen) delivers on most fronts.
Echo Show 15 (2nd gen)
The new Echo Show 15 is a direct successor to the 2021-released smart display with the same name. It has a 15.6-inch Full HD screen that can be wall-mounted or placed on a stand, making it a perfect addition to any room. With improved audio and a wider field-of-view camera, it’s a great choice for staying organized, entertained, and connected. And enhanced smart home capabilities, thanks to Thread and Zigbee support, mean that you can now control even more smart home devices with the Echo Show 15.
