E-commerce giant Amazon has been slowly expanding what its Echo smart speakers can do. The company started with voice-enabled speakers, moved to a focus on audio, and eventually added screens. The Echo Show 10 takes things a step further by adding motion to those screens.
The Echo Show 10 is a display attached to a speaker, mounted on a motorized unit that allows the screen to follow you around. It uses Amazon’s new AZ1 Neural Edge processor, which takes inputs from the device’s camera and your voice to triangulate your location and have the screen turn towards you. It means the Echo Show 10 will follow you around when you’re on a video call, shift to face your favourite chair, or swivel to face you while reading recipes and cooking.
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It only moves horizontally though, so don’t expect too much customization. But the movement also means the Echo Show 10 requires much more space. You’d probably have to dedicate an entire bedside table or a large part of your desk to it. You can turn the motion off, limit its range, or set it to follow you only for certain activities. Amazon doesn’t use facial recognition software on this device; it employs artificial intelligence (AI)-based software to track human movement and decide how to move.
The movement may be the new show trick, but it also has a better screen than its predecessors, including the Echo Show 8. The 10.1-inch screen isn’t as good as an iPad, but it’s a decent device to stream Netflix shows or watch the news. Should you expect a better screen at Rs. 24,999? Probably, but this one does what it’s meant to. The display adapts colour and brightness to the room, which makes the viewing seem more natural. The Echo Show 10 also has a 13-megapixel camera on the front, with a physical shutter to cover the lens.
With two tweeters and a woofer built in, the audio is also shot in your direction, but it’s a tad tough to call this a device meant for music. It focuses on loudness over balance and richness. Speakers like Apple’s HomePod Mini and Google’s Nest Audio are much better for music.
The idea of putting screens on smart speakers isn’t particularly new, but the Echo Show 10 does take things a step forward by adding motion to the mix. That novelty feature may justify the premium pricing, if you consider hotels and corporates as the target market. It’s not difficult to imagine corporate execs walking around conference rooms, while running a team video call, having the speaker following them. But it may be a tad too much for the regular Indian smart home user, who is still getting used to having smart devices at home.
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