Amazon started taking preorders for its second gen Echo Show smart display device today. This new model brings a 10 inch touchscreen display and new features, but keeps the same $230 price tag as the predecessors.
Placed right between a smart speaker and a tablet, the device comes with improved audio and a 10 inch 1280 x 800 pixel display, plus a 5 megapixel camera with 720p capture. It has stereo 10W speakers with dual 2 inch Neodymium drivers. A passive bass radiator is also here, as well as Dolby Audio processing. The while thing comes in at 9.7 inch x 6.9 inch x 4.2 inch and sports a cloth covered back side.
There’s WiFi 802.11ac support, as well as the Zigbee wireless protocol for smart home hub functionality. Inside we find an old school tablet’s Intel Atom x5-Z8350 processor. Amazon also offers web browser support here, so you can use and ask Alexa to launch Alexa or Silk, plus you can use the on screen keyboard to search or enter URLs. Amazon promised support for Skype calls coming via a later update.
You can use this device as a kitchen companion, to watch recipe videos, set timers and alarms, plus more. There are over 50.000 skills and counting, so Alexa is getting smarter and smarter. You can get the device here.
