From CNET: Apple made a big splash early this October with its massive smart home announcement, including new Siri AI features, the company’s first smart display called HomeView and the long-awaited smart speaker, the HomePod Mini 2.
Now Amazon’s here with its new Echo lineup, and we’re all comparing these smart speakers and smart displays with what Apple is offering. What’s interesting is that Amazon is taking a completely different path with its new home devices — especially the latest Echo Show, which is currently available for preorder. Here’s what that means and why it matters for potential buyers this holiday season.
Apple’s first smart display relies heavily on Siri AI and audio features as a selling point, with a design a bit like the Echo Show 11. During Apple’s announcement, I noted this created dissonance since the 7-inch screen is too small to easily watch the latest Apple TV shows, or much else, even if the audio is excellent. That’s one reason companies like Amazon have been making Echo Show devices bigger and bigger.
Now with the Echo Show 16, Amazon is embracing the idea of a second TV device for the kitchen or hallway more fully than ever. This new Show ditches the big speaker for a series of small woofers and tweeters (and a stand design perhaps pointedly reminiscent of Mac computers).
The Echo Show 16 wasn’t the only Amazon device aimed at Apple’s latest releases. The company also announced a new Echo Studio model, starting at $249.99 and comparable to Apple’s HomePod Mini 2 — with one big difference. This latest Studio comes with a built-in, nearly invisible home camera.
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