Should you invest in an Amazon Echo Show 15? Tech experts weigh in on if now's the time to level up

Should you invest in an Amazon Echo Show 15? Deciding which home assist device is best for you isn't always easy. With so many options on the market, it's hard to know which one is best suited to you and your family's needs. And, with our money being stretched further than it has in a long time, we want to be sure our purchases are worth the investment. 

The Amazon Echo has proven to be one of the best smart speakers on the market, but its cousin, the Echo Show, may have even more to offer. More than just a speaker, this line of clever gadgets has a touchscreen display that can also be controlled by the voice assist function (known as Alexa), making it perfect for conducting video calls and meetings.

Released in December 2021, the Amazon Echo Show 15 is the most recent smart display from the tech giant, following the Echo Show 10. It has a 15.6-inch HD screen and a 5-megapixel camera and is compatible with all your favorite streaming services. But is it worth its $249.99 price tag? With the help of some tech experts, we investigated. 

What is the Amazon Echo Show 15 and how much does it cost? 

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Part of the Amazon Echo smart speaker family, the Echo Show 15 is a home assistant that, as the name suggests, features a display screen. This allows you to browse the web, stream video content, and make video calls, all of which can be done using the voice activation feature, Alexa. 

The Amazon Show 15 is the company's largest screen display compared to the earlier Show models (the original, the 5, the 8, and the 10). It's shaped like a picture frame and hangs on the wall or is supported on a stand, making it a great household hub in the living room or kitchen. 

The Echo Show 15 is available on Amazon for $249.99, and we think it's one of the best Alexa speakers for modern family life. The screen display is perfect for watching TV while preparing a meal in the kitchen or making video calls to distant relatives from your living room sofa. 

How does the Echo Show 15 differ to the Echo Show 10?

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When it comes to specifications, the Amazon Show 15 has all the regular features of previous Show models and is compatible with the best Alexa skills, as well as some handy new ones. 

'The smart speaker is designed to be used hands-free, and it can be controlled with voice commands or via the touchscreen and activated through facial recognition,' explains Jeroen van Gils, tech expert and CEO of LiFi. 'Built-in speakers and a microphone make it useful for making calls or playing music, and the device comes with Amazon's Alexa assistant pre-installed, which can be used to access information, control smart home devices, and more.'

The main difference compared to its predecessor, the Show 10, is its screen size. The Show 15 has a 15.6-inch HD screen compared to the Show 10's 10.1-inch screen, which gives it the advantage of being seen from a further distance. 

There are other additional features, too. As Jeroen points out, the Show 15 can be used as a digital photo frame as this model is the only version that can be mounted to the wall. 'The Echo show 15 also comes with more widgets than other echo show devices, giving you more options for customizing your home screen,' explains Daniel Neale, founder of Gadget FAQs.

But it's not without its downsides. For starters, the camera in the Echo Show 15 is less advanced than the one used in both the Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 10. It uses a 5-megapixel sensor compared to the 13 mega pixel cameras on the other two devices. The Echo Show 10 also had motorized tracking, allowing the camera to follow you around the room while on a video call, something the Show 15 lacks. Compared to the regular Amazon Echo and Echo Dot speakers - and the Show 10 - the sound quality is poorer, too. 

Should I invest?

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So, should you invest in the Amazon Echo Show 15? Due to its size, we think this device is perfect for those who want a home assist hub but have a larger home. Whether you're watching your favorite cooking program while preparing dinner or on a conference call from your home office, the large display allows you to see a much clearer picture, even from across the room. 

If you lack space, the wall-mounted design, which works both horizontally and vertically, also offers you the advantage of having more space on your surfaces. That said, if camera resolution and sound quality are your priorities, you might be better off with the Echo Show 10, available on Amazon.