Product Verification: Whoever speaks on the screen

Stand: 02:25 | Reading time: 3 minutes

Product: Echo Show 2

Supplier: Amazon

Why not talk to a screen? The new Echo Show from Amazon wants exactly that from its users. Its predecessor was the first echo speaker with a screen. Now, Amazon comes with the second generation. During the test, the device worked flawlessly and kept its promises. But we would have liked something more in some places.

The design of the first Echo Show did not appeal to critics. It looked a lot like a small tube TV. It's a little different with the new Echo Show 2. It looks much more modern, but for our taste is still not a feast for the eyes.

The main difference from the previous model is the larger touch screen. It is ten inches longer than the previous seven-inch camera. Larger screens are basically a good thing. While surfing, watching TV, working on the computer. But what are you doing with a bigger smart display?

You ask for the weather and get icons in response. Or the shopping list. Or calendar entries. It works just as well on a seven-inch screen. Of course, once a video is running, a ten inch screen is better. You can see more news. Stream Player turns the echo show into a real TV.

During the test, our show Echo in the kitchen, which is probably the room in which it is usually found. Here you can view cooking recipes and set timers by phone. We mainly used it as a jukebox during the test. In fact, the sound was again significantly better than that of the Echo Show 1. This also applies to the bbad. When the music is played on Amazon Music, the lyrics are scrolled on the screen. When cooking, you can sing loudly.

But there are still critics who have already disturbed us on the first device. The echo show has a camera that can be used for video calls. Unfortunately, this is still not pivoting. In addition, the entire unit can not be set to the viewing angle, because the screen on which the video camera is mounted does not tilt. If the echo show on the shelf is a bit higher, the head is quickly cut off in the presentation. To change the angle, the user needs an optional support for which Amazon requests an additional 35 euros.

Soon, the Skype video call application will be available on Echo Show, but during the test it was not yet possible. In addition, developers of applications called "skills" on Amazon Alexa do not seem eager to graph their information. Most applications simply do not display attractive information on the screen. Here, the mills are a little slow.

Another weak point is just as persistent. Obviously, YouTube and Amazon are failing to hear. YouTube is still not on Echo Show. This is the most popular video platform to date. After all, it is now possible to access it via a browser. But the browser on Echo Show can not be operated vocally. You have to make the detour via the touch screen, which makes it more complicated.

Conclusion: Echo Show 2 is still an improvement over its predecessor. It has also integrated the ZigBee standard and can access networked devices that support it. Those who have little space on their shelves can still buy the previous model. It can basically almost everything, what the 2nd generation can do, slightly smaller and with a tone a little more serious. The new show Echo costs 230 euros, the previous model is currently available at a price of 120 euros.