Amazon Echo Show 15 (2nd Gen, 2024) Review: Family Wall Hub

This amazon echo show 15 (2nd gen, 2024) review looks at a 15.6-inch Full HD smart display. It is a 15.6-inch Full HD touchscreen meant to hang on a wall and act as a shared dashboard for calendars, widgets, photos, video calls, TV and smart home control. It suits families who want a central screen in the kitchen or hallway rather than a small speaker with a display.

This review is based on Amazon's published specs and what independent expert reviews report. It is not hands-on testing.

Design and build: a screen made for the wall

The Echo Show 15 is built around its size. At 16.1 x 10.1 x 1.4" (40.9 x 25.7 x 3.6 cm) and 5.0 lb / 2.2 kg, it is closer to a small picture frame than a countertop gadget.

A wall mount is included, which fits the product's purpose. The table stand is a separate purchase, and reviewers raise this as a criticism. If you plan to put it on a counter or shelf, budget for the stand. If you plan to wall-mount it, the box has what you need.

The 30W power adapter comes with a 5 ft cord. That is a practical detail for wall mounting, since you need an outlet reasonably close. Plan the position before you drill, and think about how you will route the cable.

There is also a camera shutter and a mic/camera-off button. A big screen with a camera and microphones in a shared room will make some households uneasy, so physical privacy controls are a welcome inclusion.

Display and day-to-day features

The 15.6" touchscreen runs at 1920 x 1080, so Full HD. Reviewers praise the size as a good match for kitchens and shared spaces. A bigger canvas means calendars, widgets and photos can be read from across a room rather than only from a few feet away.

The display has no HDR, and reviewers call that out. If you want a screen mainly for rich, high-contrast video, you may find it falls short. It is better suited to a household hub than a home cinema.

The sensor suite includes an ALS RGB sensor and an accelerometer. Both are listed in the specs. Amazon doesn't spell out here how each is used day to day, so we won't speculate beyond the list.

Built-in Fire TV

Built-in Fire TV with a bundled Alexa Voice Remote is one of the main selling points. Reviewers say it adds real entertainment value. The remote ships with 2 x AAA batteries, so you can use it straight away. For a kitchen or spare room, it means the display doubles as a small TV, with the remote for navigation instead of voice or touch alone.

Camera and video calls

The 13MP wide-angle camera offers 3.3x zoom and auto-framing. Reviewers say auto-framing helps video calls, and the wide-angle lens fits with the shared-room positioning. If you want to chat with relatives while moving around a kitchen, auto-framing is the feature that matters most. As with the display, the camera is only as useful as its placement, so wall height is worth thinking about before mounting.

Smart home hub capabilities

The Echo Show 15 is a capable smart home hub on paper. It supports Zigbee, Matter and acts as a Thread border router. Reviewers praise this. Built-in Zigbee, Thread border router and Matter support is what reviewers credit for making it a capable smart home hub.

However, reviewers also say smart home controls take a back seat, with no dedicated dashboard. If you want a screen purely for managing devices, that is a limitation worth knowing about.

Sound and performance

The speaker setup is two 2-inch woofers and two 0.6-inch tweeters, which Amazon describes as upgraded. Reviewers say the sound is louder and fuller than the original, and that performance is faster.

The audio is still a weak point. A common criticism is that it remains mediocre, with weak bass and distortion at high volume. That matters because the Fire TV and video-call features lean on the speakers. If music or movies are priorities, the weak bass and distortion at high volume that reviewers describe are worth weighing.

Connectivity

The Echo Show 15 supports Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) and Bluetooth. Wi-Fi 6E is aimed at faster streaming, which makes sense for a screen with Fire TV built in. Whether you actually benefit depends on your router, so check that before assuming a difference.

What experts like and what they criticise

Across four expert reviews, the Echo Show 15 averages 8/10. TechRadar gives it 4/5, Android Police scores it 7.5/10 and GadgetGuy scores it 8.6/10. It is also recommended in 4 expert guides, which points to reasonably consistent approval, although the scores are good rather than exceptional.

Reviewers praise:

• the large screen for kitchens and shared spaces
• the built-in Fire TV and included remote
• the camera and auto-framing
• the Zigbee, Thread and Matter support
• the improved volume and speed

The criticisms are just as consistent:

• the audio is still mediocre
• the table stand is sold separately
• the upgrade is modest compared with the original and has no HDR
• the smart home controls are not a dedicated dashboard

The pattern is clear. The Echo Show 15 is strong as a big shared screen and hub, and weaker where you'd expect a premium multimedia device.

Who should buy the Echo Show 15

It is best for families who want a big wall-mounted display for calendars, video calls, Fire TV and smart home control. It suits a kitchen, hallway or family room where one screen serves everyone. Households that already use Zigbee or Thread devices, or plan to adopt Matter, get extra value from the hub features.

It also suits people who want the display mounted rather than sitting on furniture, since the wall mount is in the box.

Who should skip it

Skip it if you want strong audio. Reviewers are consistent that bass is weak and the sound distorts at high volume. Skip it if HDR matters, since the display lacks it. If you want a smart home control panel with a dedicated dashboard, reviewers say this isn't what the Echo Show 15 offers. And if you already own the original and are looking for a major upgrade, the improvements are described as modest.

It sits in the mid-range price tier among the products compared, so it isn't a bargain pick either. If you plan to use a table stand, remember that it is an extra purchase.

How it fits in the smart display category

The Echo Show 15 pairs a large screen with wall mounting and Fire TV built in. That makes it more of a household information centre. It is a better fit if you want a shared display than if you want something compact.

Verdict

The Echo Show 15 (2nd Gen, 2024) is a sensible choice for a family that wants a big, always-visible screen. The 15.6-inch Full HD display, Fire TV, the 13MP camera with auto-framing and the Zigbee, Thread and Matter support give it broad appeal. The weaker audio, lack of HDR, separate stand and limited smart home dashboard keep it from being a standout all-rounder. With an expert average of 8/10, it is a good, well-targeted product for the right household, and a lukewarm one if you want premium sound or picture.

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