With options for every room in the house, Amazon Alexa smart speakers and smart displays come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. The Amazon Echo Show 15 is the biggest with a huge 15.6-inch screen – it's the best smart speaker for communal spaces like a living room or kitchen.
Designed to be mounted on a wall, the Echo Show 15 acts like a command centre for your smart home. You can use it to leave notes for your family, keep track of everyone's weekly schedules and turn your smart lights on or off. Thanks to its Fire TV integration, you can even use it to watch TV shows from all of the top streaming services like the upcoming season of The Bear on Disney+ or Bridgerton on Netflix.
The Amazon Echo Show 15 will usually set you back £279.99 when paired with the Alexa Voice Remote. But the best Echo device deals, which are often during sales like Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday, have seen the price drop to as little as £210 in the past.
I've been using the Amazon Echo Show 15 since it launched in 2021, and here I've summed up all my thoughts about its design, setup, features and performance.
Pros
- 15.6-inch Full HD display
- Doubles up as a TV
- Lots of Alexa smarts built-in
Cons
- Audio quality is underwhelming
- No tracking on the camera
| Screen size | 15.6 inches |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| Dimensions | 40.2 x 25.2 x 3.5cm |
| Camera | 5MP |
Amazon Echo Show 15 review: Design and set up
The Echo Show 15 is quite different from Amazon's other Echo Show devices because it looks more like a big tablet, rather than a speaker with a screen. It has a 15.6-inch display and measures 40.2 x 25.2 x 3.5cm, so it's meant to be mounted on the wall like a photo frame instead of sitting on a side table or shelf.
The screen has 1920 x 1080p Full HD resolution, and while it won't match up to the quality achieved by some of the best TVs, it's still crisp and bright. I had the display mounted in a sunny room and although it was reflective, I could still see it clearly. Plus the size is perfect, it's easily legible and big enough to comfortably watch TV shows.
The screen is surrounded by a thick white frame and a smaller black bezel (similar to a photo frame) and there's a small 5MP camera placed in the top left-hand corner. If you don't want the camera to be visible, there's a privacy shutter that you can pull across the lens. Along the top of the frame, you'll find the microphone mute button and volume controls.
In the box, the Amazon Echo Show 15 comes with a power adaptor, a 1.5m cable, a wall mount, anchors, screws, a mounting template and the quick start guide.
Following the included instructions it's easy to mount the display on the wall, it only took me about 5 minutes. The included power cable is a good length, and it's discreet against a white or lightly coloured wall. If you aren't so keen on the idea of drilling holes, you could buy a Made for Amazon Tilt Stand for an extra £33.99.
System setup is just as simple. When you've hooked the smart display up to power, you'll need to download and log in to the Alexa app, and tap the + symbol. You'll be guided through the process to get the display connected to WiFi. I had it up and running in a matter of minutes.
Amazon Echo Show 15 review: Features
Created to sit at the centre of your home, the Amazon Echo Show 15 is packed with lots of useful features.
Firstly, it works just like any other smart speaker. When you say the wake word "Alexa", a thin blue strip appears across the bottom of the screen to let you know the assistant is listening. You can ask Alexa to tell you a joke, read the headlines, set an alarm, turn off the lights... and the list goes on. The benefit of having the display is that you'll be able to see the answers as well as hear them.
When you ask a question like "how deep is the sea", the Echo Show 15 will show you a paragraph explaining the answer. Or when you ask for a recipe, you'll get a few options to choose from and then it'll show you a step-by-step guide on the screen. Similarly, when you ask for today's weather forecast, you'll see graphics to go along with the answer.
When setting up the device, you'll need to choose which widgets you'd like on the home screen. There's a widget to suggest tracks on Spotify, show you what's on your Google, Microsoft or Apple calendar, control your smart home devices like your lights and smart plugs, recommend daily recipes and write up notes or reminders for family members. There are loads of options to tailor the display to your household's needs.
One of my favourite ways to use the Echo Show 15 is as a digital photo frame. On the Alexa app, you can choose the photos you'd like to include and it'll run through a slideshow of them whenever you say "Alexa, show my photos". As well as being able to upload your own photos, you can display photography and artwork from the Amazon library. The downside is that photos don't stay up until you take them down, they eventually time out and the display returns to the home screen. You can't change how long each photo is on the screen either.
The Echo Show 15 works with lots of other smart home gadgets. I have it hooked up to my video doorbell – it chimes when someone approaches the front door and then displays a live feed from the camera. I also have my security cameras connected so I can stream the view from those too.
Another cool feature is the Fire TV integration, because you can use this instead of a kitchen or office TV. Fire TV is a simple user interface that gives you access to apps like Prime Video, Netflix, and Disney+, as well as some games and an internet browser. You can even connect an Alexa remote to the display and control it in the same way you would a television set.
Despite being a central command centre for your smart home, the Amazon Echo Show 15 doesn't have Zigbee hub integration. That means you won't be able to use it as a bridge to set up smart home gadgets, you'll need a separate device to do that. It's a huge shame this feature isn't included, especially when other Amazon speakers like the Echo and Echo Studio do have it.
Amazon Echo Show 15 review: Audio and camera
The Echo Show can play music from services like Spotify or Prime Music, but the speaker is lacking. Despite being clear and loud, it's not as punchy or detailed as a separate home speaker.
The 5MP camera can be used for video calls and doubles up as a security camera when you're away from home (which you can check from the Alexa app). The quality of the camera is fit for purpose. It's not as bright or sharp as a selfie snapper on some of the best smartphones, but it does the job.
Unlike the Echo Show 10, there's no tracking on the camera to follow you around the room. Although, it does have facial recognition to personalise the home screen – it'll display tailored recommendations and calendars when it recognises the person standing in view.
Amazon Echo Show 15 review: Verdict
If you want a smart display for a large living space or kitchen that the whole family can benefit from, the Amazon Echo Show 15 is a top choice. You can use it just as you would any Alexa speaker, but with the added benefit of seeing the answers as well as hearing them.
The Echo Show 15 has a huge screen that fits lots of information and can be organised with handy widgets. But this is more than just a smart display, it can replace a small TV and be transformed into a digital photo frame.
There are some minor quirks to contend with, like the fact that audio quality isn't best-in-class and there's no tracking on the camera. It's also very disappointing that there's no Zigbee hub integration. Still, I think it's a cool device that helps a lot with the day-to-day running of my home.
Amazon Echo Show 15 review: Also consider
If you like the idea of having a smart home command centre but need the Zigbee function and would rather spend a bit less, take a look at the Amazon Echo Hub. It usually costs around £170 and has a much smaller 8-inch screen, so it'll be ideal for a hallway or open living space.
Google Assistant users should buy the Google Pixel tablet with a charging speaker dock. You can use it in many of the same ways as the Echo Show 15, but it has Google Assistant and Google Home built in instead of Alexa smarts. Plus, you can take the slate off the speaker system and use it on the go as a regular tablet.
