Clearly, the predecessor to something else coming from Amazon that can’t be far off, the Echo Show is the Alexa enabled device, with a screen. Yes, a screen. That means you can watch shows on Amazon prime, look up your favorite recipes or how-to videos, and even watch your music while you listen to it.
Perhaps the coolest new feature with the most potential? Voice and audio calls. Anyone with the Alexa app can make or receive calls, and of course, the Echo Show works really well for this (there is no Skype support yet, according to Verge).
There is also another feature called “Drop In” which allows friends and family you choose to make a call at any time. There is a 10-second window where you can reject the call or switch it to audio only.
It’s hard to imagine who I would authorize to make such calls, other than my own cell phone so I could spy on my dogs when I am not home, or catch my teenager unaware. But maybe for checking in on elderly loved ones or some other more “useful” reason could be imagined.
What will be next for Amazon? Well, the screens will get bigger, or people will be purchasing Alexa-enabled TVs and using the Echo show in rooms where they don’t have a TV and want the simplistic functionality anyway.
It’s exciting to see another Echo product, this one video enabled, but with rising security concerns, time will tell how many households will adopt the devices on top of the always on Echo speakers.
Troy is a Freelance writer, editor, and author who lives, works, and plays in Boise, Idaho where he hikes, cycles, skis, and basically enjoys the outdoor lifestyle of the Northwest. Troy writes about business, sports, GIS, Education, and more. He is most passionate about writing suspense thrillers, and his work can be found at https://www.amazon.com/Troy-Lambert/e/B005LL1QEC/
