Amazon has taken its smart display lineup to new heights with the new Echo Show 21. It features a massive 21-inch screen, Fire TV built-in, and extensive smart home integration. With all this, it aims to be the ultimate home entertainment and smart home hub. But is bigger really better? Let’s explore what makes the Echo Show 21 shine — and where it falls short.
Amazon Echo Show 21
The Amazon Echo Show 21 is Amazon’s most advanced smart display. It doubles as a Fire TV (thanks to the included remote), as well as a smart home hub, allowing you to control your smart home devices without an additional device.
- Packed with features
- Remote included
- Built-in privacy features
- Integrated smart home hub
- Expensive
- Too big for most homes
- Average audio quality
- Stand is optional ($100)
Price, availability, and specs
Bigger and pricier
The Amazon Echo Show Hub is available directly on Amazon for $400. Keep in mind that it doesn’t ship with a stand, so you’ll need to purchase one separately if you want to place it on a flat surface. The original stand costs $100.
What’s good about the Echo Show 21?
It packs plenty of features in a single device
The Echo Show 21 sets itself apart from the competition, thanks to its massive 21-inch Full HD display. This screen size is perfect for streaming TV shows, placing video calls, or showcasing photos like a digital frame. The screen quality is decent, offering 1080p resolution. It’s enough for most tasks, but a higher image quality such as QHD or 4K would have been even better to enjoy content.
Built-in Fire TV functionality is another great Echo Show 21 feature. This means you can use it the same way you would use a Fire TV stick to access your favorite streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video, without a separate streaming device. Amazon even includes a Fire TV remote, making it easy to navigate apps and search for content without relying solely on voice commands or the touchscreen. So, the Echo Show 21 is particularly convenient to use in the kitchen, for instance, providing access to content while you’re busy cooking.
In addition to entertainment, the Echo Show 21 also doubles as a smart home controller. It has integrated support for popular standards like Zigbee, Matter, and Thread. This means purchasing additional hubs to connect smart home devices (such as bulbs and smart plugs) isn’t required, ensuring compatibility with many smart devices. Once paired, you can use Alexa voice commands, the Echo Show 21’s touchscreen, or the Alexa app on your smartphone to control them.
Lastly, the Echo Show 21 has a built-in 13MP wide-angle camera with auto-framing and noise reduction. These features allow for clear and dynamic video calls; the camera automatically focuses on the speaker, even if they’re a bit far from the screen. Also, like other Echo devices, the Echo Show 21 has a mic switch and a physical camera shutter for maximum privacy.
What’s bad about the Echo Show 21?
How big is too big?
While the Echo Show 21 impresses with its large display and entertainment features, it also has a few shortcomings. For starters, it’s Amazon’s most expensive smart display to date, priced at a whopping $400. This potentially puts it out of reach for budget-conscious consumers, especially considering that smaller Echo Show models offer many similar features at a fraction of the cost.
In addition, the Echo Show 21 is designed primarily for wall mounting, which may not suit every home setup. If you want to place it on a countertop or furniture, you’ll need to purchase a separate stand, which costs an extra $100. This added expense feels hard to justify given the device’s already premium price tag. The lack of HDMI input is another missed opportunity; it can’t double as a computer monitor. This could have added extra functionality for home office setups or gamers, especially given its price point. Also, while stunning, the 21-inch screen might be too large for many homes and can appear overwhelming in smaller spaces.
What’s more, despite its smart home capabilities, the Echo Show 21 lacks a dedicated smart home interface like the one found in Amazon’s Echo Hub. Controlling devices through Alexa voice commands works well, but there is no centralized visual interface to manage smart home devices on the homepage. Instead, you either have to rely on the Favorites widget, which is too limited, or navigate through several menus, which is cumbersome. It’s a shame Amazon didn’t think of a dedicated smart home hub on the Echo Show 21, especially given the screen space it provides.
Read our review
Amazon Echo Hub review: A smart display for smart homes
The ultimate hub to control all your smart home devices
Lastly, the Echo Show 21 has improved sound quality compared to other Echo Shows. It features two 2-inch woofers and two 0.6-inch tweeters, providing deeper bass and better overall sound clarity comparatively. However, while improved, audio quality still falls short when it comes to proper smart speakers. The bass can feel shallow at times, and sound clarity at higher volumes isn’t perfect. At this price point, sound quality should be better. Since the Echo Show 21 is also designed to be mounted on the wall, it’s understandable Amazon aimed for a thin design, which limits the audio quality.
Should you buy it?
Consider it if you need a screen that big
The Echo Show 21 is a premium smart display that acts as an entertainment and smart home hub, while also offering video calling and audio streaming features. Its massive screen, built-in Fire TV, and included remote make it a formidable entertainment hub for streaming, music, and family connection. What’s more, it has built-in Zigbee and Matter support.
However, its high price, optional stand, lack of HDMI input, and average audio performance could be deal-breakers. Also, if you need a smart display primarily for smart home management, consider more affordable alternatives like the Echo Hub, which has a more intuitive smart home interface.
If you’re looking for an all-in-one entertainment center with smart home capabilities — and don’t mind paying a premium — the Echo Show 21 delivers. Otherwise, more compact and cost-effective Echo devices might be a better fit.
Amazon Echo Show 21
The Amazon Echo Show 21 is Amazon’s most advanced smart display. It doubles as a Fire TV (thanks to the included remote), as well as a smart home hub, allowing you to control your smart home devices without an additional device.
