We tested the Echo Show 21, the largest screen with Alexa on the market

THE bet on home automation This has been brewing for many years within large companies, such as Amazon and Google. Both have their products available in Europe, led by their voice assistants. Amazon's is more popular, because it works a little better in terms of order fulfillment, but it also has a much broader ecosystem of devices.

In EL ESPAÑOL – El Androide Libre we have been able to analyze several of these devices, from the largest, like the Echo Show 15, to the most compactlike the Amazon Echo Spot which aims to replace the alarm clock on the nightstand. Even including its autonomous robot Astro, which moves around the house. Its ambition for the smart home is such that it also has the Echo Hub, its control center for the entire connected home.

But Amazon wants to be able to reach all users, including those who appreciate having a large screen controlled by Alexa. Something that looks more like a television than a smart speaker. The Amazon Echo Show 15 was already something like that, but now they have improved it significantly, reaching 21 inches.

We spent a few days using the new Amazon Echo Show 21, the biggest smart device never designed by the company. And it’s also the most versatile, hence its price. It costs 439.99 dollars, including the power adapter and the support to attach it to the wall. However, if we want, we can buy a table stand that costs 109.99 dollars. The price is high, but its quality is spectacular and also allows move the screen not only horizontally but also vertically by changing its tilt.

It's clear that this product is not designed to be a simple gift, like the normal Amazon Echo or the smaller diagonal Shows. However, it is so versatile that if we manage to get it out and enjoy everything it does, we can say that it is even economical, at replace a multitude of products in our house.

Fits well into the house

The most remarkable thing about this device is undoubtedly its size. THE 21 inches brings us closer to the diagonals of computer screens than smart screens. Plus, since it has a substantial white frame and black outline, the size is even larger. What is curious is that despite this, If we put it in a corner and our wall is white it goes very unnoticedalmost being a large picture frame.

Can be placed horizontally and verticallyalthough if we want to get the most out of using it as a television, it is best to use it in the first position. In this case we will also have the camera centered and the volume and microphone control buttons at the top.

Review of the Amazon Echo Show 21

Alvarez del Vayo

The camera not only makes video calls, but also tells the device who we are, so it can display relevant information based on who is watching. For this you need scan our face with a system called Visual ID. The images you host to recognize us are stored on the device and not in the Amazon cloud.

Maximum versatility

The functions for which this device was designed are no different from those that we have already seen in the Amazon Echo Sow 15. In fact, a new version of this model has been presented with the 21-inch one.

To start, It's a touch screen, with what that implies. We can use it as a kind of digital whiteboard to put post-its, to organize our daily life with the calendar that synchronizes with our mobile phonesetc. This is especially useful in large families because it does not require sharing events or asking questions at all times.

Of course, to Alexawith which we will have all the functions of Echo devices, from the possibility of requesting or playing music to the possibility of controlling home automation from the Digital Home Center. We can see the thermostats, cameras, different connected sockets, etc. The integrated 13 MP camera allows make video calls with automatic framing 3.3x zoom. In addition, the microphone noise reduction system allows the other person to hear us clearly even if there is noise at home.

Amazon integrated a Fire TV into this deviceas he did with an update with the old Amazon Echo Show 15. This way It is possible to use the Echo Show 21 as a televisionwhether to watch TNT channels via an application that you install or to use the streaming applications that you want, such as Prime Video, Max or Netflix. We can even install Plex to view our own library of titles if we have it.

The quality of the panel is FullHD 1080p, so we have a more than correct resolution. The only downside is the reflectionswhich can be quite visible if we place it in front of a window. However, if we look at it from the front as would be normal, the visual experience is correct.

In addition to all these functions, we have the possibility of using this device as digital photo frameof considerable size, which will decorate the room in which we have it. And it makes sense to put it in the living room or kitchen since this Echo Show 21 has a integrated smart home center, Compatible with Matter, Wi-Fi, Thread and Zigbee devices. Also use Wifi 6E so the speed of your Internet connection is one of the best on the market.

4 speakers

The sound section was one of the ones we were most excited to try given that it's a large screen, but it doesn't have the space that other Amazon speakers have, as it is quite flat. This Echo Show 21 has 2 x 51 mm (2.0 in) woofers and 2 x 15 mm (0.6 in) tweeters.

The sound quality is more than remarkable both for watching series and films and for listening to music. Overall, it doesn't reach the power or bass of an Amazon Echo Studio, which is to be expected given that that other speaker is designed for listening to music, not whatever this new one does. device. They are not comparable products, but we have mentioned them because in our case we moved one to install the other and perhaps many people want to improve the musical use of this Echo Show 21.

Remote

This screen from Amazon includes a remote control in its box. You don't have to buy it separately. This is appreciated because when the built-in Fire TV arrives, we may want to use media content a lot more than on other Amazon Echo Shows.

The remote is similar to the Amazon Fire TV which connects to the TV, with playback, setup and also controls. various custom buttons. There is one for Netflix, another for Prime Video, another for Prime Music and a fourth which is used to personalize our applications. Instead of selecting a specific app, when you tap on it a menu opens where we can put the apps we want. The process of opening an application from there is a little longer but also more practical, in addition to allowing you to have several applications on a single button.

A familiar interface

Except for hardware and size, the Amazon Echo Show 21 is the same as the Amazon Echo Show 15. The main interface shows us widgets on the home screen by defaultwhich we can control and modify, with which to access the calendar, diary, home automation devices…

This interface can be replaced by a photo frame but the device itself is able to switch between one and the other if it detects that someone is nearby, to be more useful more quickly. The controller does not work in this interface, being designed only for use with the Fire TV system.

Should I buy it?

Recommending the high end of any technology product always involves taking into account the price of that product. In this case we are faced with a speaker with Alexa which costs 439.99 dollars. However, to stop there is to say that it makes no sense to pay 200,000 dollars for a car without specifying that it is a Ferrari.

El Amazon Echo Show 21 está pensado para casas grandes o para hogares en los que se valora no sólo tener un altavoz inteligente, sino también un pequeño televisor en una de las habitaciones, además de en el salón. Por supuesto, podemos usarlo como sistema de videollamada, algo muy cómodo si tenemos niños en casa, para que hablen con sus amigos o con sus familiares.

Por otro lado, el control domótico del aparato hace que sirva casi como cerebro del hogar, ya que al tener una pantalla tan grande es cómodo ver las cámaras, gestionar el calendario, ver fotos, etc. Hasta en la cocina puede sustituir a una tablet a la hora de darle la comida a un bebé por ejemplo, de manera puntual.