Amazon launches Echo Show at Rs 22,999

The smart home appliance market is growing rapidly in India and Amazon wants to have its own share in it. The company has already introduced many smart devices under its Echo lineup like Echo Dot, Echo Input, etc. Expanding the list further, Amazon has launched a smart display called Echo Show second generation in India for Rs 22,999.

The Echo Show was launched last year in the US. It is a smart display that can be used to browse content and even control smart appliances at home. “Customers across the country have purchased Echo devices and started their voice-first journey with Alexa. Today, we’re making this voice-first experience better by introducing Echo Show which provides an enhanced audio-visual experience,” said Parag Gupta, Head of Amazon Devices India.

The Echo Show has a 10-inch HD screen with a 5MP camera on top which can be used for video calls. It has two stereo sound speakers with dual 2-inch drivers and Dolby sound processing. The device includes an array of eight microphones and a ‘far-field’ technology to differentiate the user’s voice from ambient sound. The device also supports hands-free calling, accessibility features and browsing. 

The device has Amazon’s smart assistant Alexa that can be used to control other Echo devices with Echo Show. "The large screen size will increase utility and make it even easier to ask Alexa to show you things, no matter where you are in the room. And the room filling sound will make watching a music video, catching up on your favourite shows or listening to your favourite playlist more enjoyable”, the statement read. There is no support for YouTube or Netflix, but they can be browsed using the built-in web browser. 

The Echo Show is similar to Google Home Hub which has not launched yet in India. The second generation Echo Show is priced at Rs 22,999 and is roughly Rs 7,000 expensive than in the US. Amazon is clubbing the Echo Show with Philips Hue Hub for free to make up for the high price.