Amazon's Echo Show 11 features a new design with a Full-HD display. It is available in India at Rs. 26,999, but should you buy? Read to find out.
Amazon's all-new Echo Show 11 is an update to the Echo Show 10, which launched in 2020. Unveiled alongside the Echo Show 8, the new 11-inch smart speaker offers tons of upgrades for users looking for a daily smart home companion, especially with its large screen. Amazon says that it has been built on Omnisense tech, which offers automated routines based on presence, motion, and temperature detection. I will talk in depth about this in my review.
The Echo Show 11 has launched in Graphite and Glacier White, priced at Rs. 26,999, while the Echo Show 8 is available at Rs. 23,999. The smart speaker is available via online and offline channels, and in this review, I will break down whether you should spend on the latest smart speaker from Amazon.
It features a 10.95-inch Full HD touchscreen with 1920x1200 pixels resolution
The first time we saw a screen on the Echo smart speaker was in 2017, when the Alexa voice assistant got an avatar refresh. The all-new Echo Show 11 seems more like a generational upgrade for the Echo smart speaker. The design, well, is something we have seen previously. The large 11-inch screen, mounted on the speaker pod, looks refined. The mesh material covers the entire speaker, giving it a neat, premium look.
Echo Show 11 comes with hands-free voice controls via Alexa
The new 3D-knit fabric, along with thin bezels, maximises the viewing real estate, and ambient visuals automatically adapt to the environment for a comfortable viewing experience. At night, it uses a dark theme; during the day, a light one.
Of course, the Echo Show 11 is designed for users who don't just need an Alexa assistant or a clock showing ticking on a desk. It's designed for much more, like streaming video content from apps like Amazon Prime Video and rival platform Netflix. You can also run YouTube on the Echo Show 11, but users will not buy it to watch YouTube.
Echo Show 11 is powered by AZ3 Pro, a custom-designed silicon chip
To set up your Echo Show 11 device, plug in your device, wait for the device to boot up and state it's ready for setup, select your preferred language and complete the setup
The Echo Show 11 packs tons of upgrades compared to older models. The best part is that the new Echo speaker can blend into any corner and can sit on a shelf or tabletop. Thanks to a better display, it can also be a great companion on your work desk.
The Echo Show 11 sports a 13-megapixel camera with an auto framing feature
The setup is flawless through the Alexa app on your smartphone. And if you already own a few Echo speakers, setting up the Echo Show 11 takes only a few minutes. Like previous models, you can interact with the Echo Show 11 via voice commands, and it also includes a few physical controls for the mic (on/off) and volume. I really missed a proper shutter button on the camera, which is absolutely useless if you're not doing video calls now and then.
It is powered by an AZ3 Pro processor with an AI accelerator
Once the setup is complete, the Echo Show 11 starts adapting to your routines, from your waking up to watching something on the display to your music choices.
You can also start controlling compatible electronic home appliances like your smart ACs, fans, lights, or play something on streaming apps like Prime Video and Netflix - all through hands-free voice commands or on-screen touch controls. You can easily manage your daily tasks by granting access to your calendar. After that, the Echo Show 11 will show your day's routine, including important scheduled tasks, and you can also take notes for shopping or a to-do list for the next day.
It weighs around 1.3 kilograms
The biggest addition here is Omnisense technology, a customised tech built for ambient AI to deliver better contextual awareness. It enables capabilities such as visual ID, proximity and presence detection, temperature sensing and adaptive brightness and colour. The Echo Show 11 is powered by AZ3 Pro, another custom-designed silicon chip that enables fast performance. Interestingly, Omnisense is built on top of this silicon.
Another highlight of the Echo Show 11 is the all-new audio architecture, which is far better than what we heard on the Echo Show 10. At 75 percent volume, the Echo Show 11 delivers decent, balanced sound for room-filling spatial audio. It features front-firing stereo speakers and custom woofers. Even at full volume, the Echo Show 11 performed well in a large hall-sized room.
The device packs ultrasound, Wi-Fi radar and accelerometer
To test the camera, I called my other Echo speaker on another floor using the Communicate feature, and the video quality was decent, with a clear voice. The best part is you can have an Echo speaker with a screen and camera in another room and keep checking the live feed with your Echo Show 11. You can access the live feed by voice command by saying "Show me" followed by the name of your Echo Show device.
If you're someone who has to be away from your home for a few days but has an Echo Show (for example, the Echo Show 11) at home, then you can use Live View, which allows you to check in on your home while away by viewing your compatible device's live camera feed remotely through the Alexa app. However, do note that turning off the camera disables the Live View.
In the initial days, the presence detection sensor and personalised reminder felt surprising, but you get used to them.
The Echo Show 11 uses the camera to detect presence or proximity, while the device may also use ultrasound and, in some cases, ultrasound combined with Wi-Fi signals to detect presence or proximity. Once presence is detected, the Echo Show 11 can perform routines, such as turning on a light when someone enters a room. Notably, presence detection is also used to power Adaptive Content.
At Rs. 26,999, the Echo Show 11 is a far bigger refresh than we have seen from Amazon so far. However, its biggest rival is its smaller sibling, the Echo Show 8, which comes at a lower price of Rs. 23,999. Compared to the Echo Show 10, I really missed the rotating screen, which, if available on the Show 11, would have given it an edge over the Show 8. Currently, apart from a larger screen, the Echo Show 11 doesn't offer any advantages over the Show 8.
So what's new and better on the Echo Show 11? Well, it has a much-needed design revamp and a brighter, crisper display, which is the best we have seen from Amazon yet. On the performance front, the speaker output is far superior to the Echo Show 10, while the camera and personalised recommendations are more refined than ever. A big miss for Amazon is keeping Alexa+ limited to the US market, which makes the Show 11's pricing even steeper.
Nevertheless, the Echo Show 11, in its current avatar, offers the best design refresh, rich sound output, and the best display we have seen on an Echo device yet. So, you can go for one if your priority is a larger display; otherwise, the Echo Show 8 offers the same package at a lower price tag.
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