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Amazon Echo Show 21: two-minute review
The idea of combining a smart speaker with a flat screen is certainly not a new one for Amazon. Amazingly, it’s over seven years since the first-generation Echo Shows launched, and three since the original Echo Show 15 first arrived in homes. At that time, its 15-inch display made it the largest Echo device inside Amazon’s stable. But not anymore. That accolade now goes to the newly-launched Echo Show 21.
Essentially, the Echo Show 21 is a larger version of the latest Echo Show 15, complete with Alexa, built-in Fire TV, and an Alexa voice remote. It even features the same mounting bracket as the Echo Show 15, which is handy if you have multiple devices you want to swap over. Capable of being installed in portrait or landscape orientation, it’s best to think of the Echo Show as a rather large web tablet (albeit one with much better speakers). So, in the same way you might use an iPad to display a recipe in the kitchen or control your home’s heating, so you might use an Echo Show to do these things.
It’s much more than that, though. Once you’ve gone through the setup process, pairing the Echo Show with your home’s Wi-Fi and the Alexa voice remote, there’s the option of customizing it all. Usefully, because the Echo Show 21 has Fire TV built in, you can use it much like you would a smart TV. Buttons are provided on the Alexa voice remote for accessing Prime Video, as well as Netflix. Alternatively, you can press the app button to access other apps you have downloaded to your device such as Apple TV, Disney+, and YouTube. You also have the option to display images from your Amazon photo library when the device is not use.
However, the Echo Show really comes into its own with all the other widgets you can add. Just swipe down from the top of the display and hit ‘widget gallery’. There you will find everything you need to help you organize your life, from sticky notes to shopping lists and from calendars to daily reminders. It can also display local weather, so you’re fully prepared when you leave the house.
Once you’ve made your choice, each of the widgets is then displayed on the home screen. And if you want more details, you only have to touch the screen to bring up more information. For example, while the weather widget shows the temperature for the next four hours, you can find out more information (such as the likelihood of rain and whether you need an umbrella) by pressing the weather option on the home screen to bring info up across the entire display.
Want to control connected devices within your home, such as your smart thermostat, lights, and home security cameras? There’s a ‘smart home favorites’ widget for that. Not only will this allow you to control options such as the temperature of your property, it will also do things like display footage from a connected video doorbell if someone comes to the door. Support is provided for Matter and Thread, which means you can use the Echo Show 21 as a Zigbee Hub.
Finally, also on board is the Echo Show 21 is a 13MP selfie camera (complete with privacy shutter) for video calls. This includes Alexa Drop Ins, which lets you get in touch via video or voice using other connected devices in the household. It’s particularly handy if you want to tell the kids that dinner is ready and they’re not responding to yells from the kitchen because they are on their devices.
Amazon Echo Show 21: price and availability
- $399/£399.99 without stand, $100/£100 extra with stand
- Available now
- Available in the US and UK
Released in November 2024, the Amazon Echo Show 21 costs £399 or $399 direct from Amazon for the standard wall-mount installation (at the time of writing it’s not available in Australia). However, if you want a desktop/counter stand you will have to pay an additional $100/£100 on top of that. That makes the Echo Show 21 the most expensive device in Amazon’s line-up, at $100/£100 more than the smaller Amazon Echo Show 15.
It’s not an excessive amount of money for what it is, but it’s not an absolute bargain either. A decent 43-inch smart TV will now set you back less money, so it does seem a little pricey.
That said, the Amazon Echo Show 21 is much more than a smart TV. It offers much greater functionality and interactivity for starters, including the ability to control your smart home, music and calendars, as well as being able to stream content from video services.
Importantly, it also feels very solid and well made, with an attractive wooden frame around the outside. It certainly makes a nice addition to the kitchen, living room or office, especially if you are looking for all of the features of an Echo Show device, but with a bigger screen.
Amazon Echo Show 21: specs
|
Display |
21.5-inch touch-screen display, 1,920 x 1,080 resolution |
|
Speakers |
Two side-mounted speakers each comprising 2inch woofer and 0.6inch tweeter |
|
Camera |
13MP camera with privacy shutter |
|
Connectivity |
Wi-Fi (supports Wi-Fi 6e, 802.11ax), Bluetooth |
|
Voice assistant |
Alexa (includes Alexa voice remote) |
|
Display |
Can use in landscape or portrait orientation |
|
Dimensions (W x H x D) |
21.4 x 13.2 x 1.5in / 54 cm x 34 cm x 3.8 cm |
|
Weight |
10.7lbs / 4.9kg |
Amazon Echo Show 21: design and installation
- Mounting bracket for portrait/landscape orientation
- Solid design with black wooden frame around 21.5-inch screen
- Alexa voice remote
Designed to be mounted on the wall, the hefty Amazon Echo Show 21 comes with a metal bracket in the box (alternatively, you can buy a desktop stand but our review sample didn’t include one). This means you will need a drill, a level, and hammer for installation. Four screws and four wall plugs are provided in the pack, as well as paper wall-mount template that helps you drill holes into the right places.
Once the bracket is installed, you simply slide the Echo Show 21 into place in either landscape or portrait orientation. I used it extensively in both modes, but personally preferred it in portrait because I found it better for displaying the widgets. Around the actual screen is a white background and around that is a black wooden surround, giving the Echo Show the look and feel of a large photo frame. Large speakers are built into either side of the display and on top (in landscape mode) are buttons for volume up/down as well as two pinhole microphones.
For privacy, there’s also a button that switches the microphones on and off (this glows red when activated) and a privacy shutter that covers the 13MP camera. The power cable needs to be inserted into a recess on the back of the display before it’s mounted to the wall, but at 1.5m it’s not overly long, which could limit your options when it comes to positioning it. Finally, you will need to pair the display with the Alexa Voice Remote (it is the same as the one you get for Amazon Fire Sticks).
This can only be paired with one device at a time, and can’t control skills and services outside the Fire TV experience. Also, while some video streaming services such as Amazon Prime can be fully controlled using the touch screen display, other services such as Netflix provide only limited functionality without the remote.
In addition to the circular navigation pad and usual forward/rewind and home buttons, the remote includes an Alexa option with a pinhole microphone for use instead of the smart display’s far-field microphones. As with other Alexa devices, you can change the wake word of the Echo Show 21 – handy if you have several Amazon devices near to one another.
Amazon Echo Show 21: performance
- Crisp 1,920 x 1,080 display
- Maybe a little too bright
- Much improved sound system and onboard 13MP camera
The largest display in Amazon’s Echo series, with nearly double the viewing area of the Echo Show 15, the Echo Show 21 certainly cuts an imposing figure once mounted on the wall. In fact, it seems more like a much larger smart TV than a glorified touch screen display with built-in Alexa, especially when mounted in landscape mode.
Boasting a highly reflective 1,920 x 1,080 display, the Echo Show 21’s picture quality is excellent, delivering crisp, bright images. However, it’s arguably a little too bright especially when watching video content. The first thing I had to do once I switched the display on was to swipe down from the top to turn the brightness down. However, switching adaptive brightness does help a little, automatically adjusting brightness levels based on the ambient light levels in the room. Turn down the room’s lights and the screen will dim too, turn them up and the screen will brighten.
Also on board is a proximity sensor, which adjusts what’s on the screen when you aren’t actively using it. When no one is nearby, it closes the control panel and rotates through a variety of screens. For example, it could display various content suggestions such as jokes or football scores or act as a large photo frame, cycling through images in your Amazon picture library. It will also support multiple users, switching between different profiles using facial recognition when the camera is active or via voice recognition instead.
One of the criticisms of previous Echo Show devices was the poor quality of the onboard camera. Thankfully this has been addressed with the Echo Show 21. Supporting auto-framing, 3.3x zoom and noise reduction technology, the built-in 13MP camera works extremely well – whether you’re using Alexa Drop In to tell the kids that the dinner is ready, or calling someone for a business meeting. However, if you are worried about privacy you can always cover up the camera using the Camera Shutter button on top of the display, as well as switch the onboard microphones off.
Some reviewers thought sound from the first Echo Show 15 was poor, Amazon has decided to improve it considerably on the new generation smart displays (both 15- and 21-inch versions). In fact, sound on the latest 21-inch model is surprisingly punchy, thanks to reasonably large side mounted speakers complete with two 2-inch woofers and two 0.6-inch tweeters (the previous Echo Show 15 only had two 1.6-inch tweeters).
Over a period of three weeks, I listened to a range of music from various streaming services, including Spotify and Amazon, and found the experience really enjoyable. However, it’s fair to say that the Echo Show 21 still only offers sound quality as good as a modest smart TV, so if it’s a high-quality home cinema system you want, you’re best looking elsewhere.
In summary, when it comes to performance, the Echo Show 21 comes highly recommended. And while I think it is rather more successful in portrait mode as a touchscreen home hub, it also doubles as a pretty decent smart TV in landscape mode for sitting back and watching streaming video content.
Should you buy the Amazon Echo Show 21?
|
Attribute |
Notes |
Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Price |
Compared to a much larger smart TV, the Echo Show 21 does seem rather pricey. That said, it does offer much more than a TV, featuring a bright touch screen display and smart home functionality |
3.5 / 5 |
|
Design |
Designed to be mounted to the wall, the sturdy Echo Show is a beautiful-looking model – like a large photo frame complete with wooden surround. However, if you want to mount it on a counter or table you will have to pay extra |
4.5 / 5 |
|
Performance |
The Echo Show 21 is a bit of a jack of all trades – part smart TV and part home hub. But performance in both areas is very good largely thanks to improved sound and an upgraded built-in camera, as well as very nice high-resolution display |
4 / 5 |
Buy it if
Don’t buy it if
Amazon Echo Show 21: also consider
| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
Amazon Echo Show 21 |
Amazon Echo Show 15 (2nd gen) |
Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen) |
|
Price |
$399.99/£399.99 (about AU$630) |
$299/£299.99 (about AU$718.99) |
$149.99 / £149.99 (about AU$230) |
|
Display |
21.5-inch, 1920 x 1080 |
15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080 |
8-inch, 1280 x 800 |
|
Speakers |
2 x 2-inch woofers & 2 x 0.6-inch tweeters |
2 x 2-inch woofers & 2 x 0.6-inch tweeters |
2 x 2-inch speakers with passive bass radiator |
|
Camera |
13MP wide angle camera with shutter |
13MP wide angle camera with shutter |
13MP wide angle camera with shutter |
|
Connectivity |
Wi-Fi 6E (802.1ax). Also supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac. Bluetooth |
Wi-Fi 6E (802.1ax). Also supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac. Bluetooth |
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
|
Voice assistant |
Alexa |
Alexa |
Alexa |
|
Hub functionality |
Yes (Zigbee + Matter + Thread border router) |
Yes (Zigbee + Matter + Thread border router) |
Yes (Zigbee + Matter + Thread border router) |
|
Dimensions |
21.4 x 13.2 x 1.5 inches (540 x 340 x 38mm) |
16.1 x 10.1 x 1.4 inches (410 x 260 x 36mm) |
7.9 x 5.5 x 4.2 inches (200 x 139 x 106mm) |
|
Weight |
10.7lbs (4.9kg) |
4.96lbs (2.2kg) |
16.1oz (456g) |
If you’re not sure the Amazon Echo Show 21 is the right smart hub for you, here are a couple of other options to consider:
How I tested the Amazon Echo Show 21
- I mounted on the wall in my home office for three weeks
- I used it in both landscape and portrait modes
- I tested it both as a home hub and smart TV
To get a good grasp of what a product like the Echo Show 21 can do, you really need to spend as much time with it as possible. That’s because it offers so much functionality! Even after three weeks I’m still finding apps I can download and new things I can do with it.
As I installed it in my home office, I used the Echo Show 21 mostly for listening to classical music while I was working and for features such as the checking the weather before taking the dog out for a lunchtime walk. But I also used it for other things too, including watching video content, turning the heating up and down and viewing images from Amazon Photos.
Personally, I preferred it in portrait mode, although using it landscape mode might work better if you have it installed in the living room or a bedroom. However, you ideally need to use the Echo Show for its advanced smart home control features to get the most out of it. Read more about how we test.
First reviewed February 2025
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