Amazon Reveals $230 Touchscreen 'Echo Show' Launching in June

[Abazigal]

Surprised so many people fund it ugly. It's actually nice and elegant.
If you find that ugly, then how you're able to use your iPhones 6/6s/7? That's the ugliness.

Between the amazon echo, surface laptop and the new Fitbit smartwatch, it's like the industry has all but given up on design instead of doubling down against Apple.

I predict another year of stellar profits for Apple.

I think apple will eventually come out with one of these but Amazon will always undercut Apple making it the economical choice.

The amazon echo isn't available in Singapore, meaning I will never get one.

Any upcoming Siri speaker will be, meaning I can get one if I ever felt inclined to.

 

[Victor Mortimer]

Yeah, you Inner Party guys can just keep your telescreens, thanks.

 

[rijc99]

From my point of view, I don't care how fugly this is , this could be the first device my grandma will have no issues with in regards to video calls, and that is huge. A game changer really, not only for elderly but disabled individuals . Going to order just for that .

The addition of calling feature makes this or any echo devices perfect for elderly or disabled persons because the echos have such sensitive microphone arrays. They can pick up the activation word from almost anywhere. This is something that just doesn't work well on an iPad or iPhone.

They would be able to place a call from basically anywhere in the room or even adjacent rooms on the echo which is a nice piece of mind for times if they happen to fall or need assistance of any sort.

 

[MH01]

The addition of calling feature makes this or any echo devices perfect for elderly or disabled persons because the echos have such sensitive microphone arrays. They can pick up the activation word from almost anywhere. This is something that just doesn't work well on an iPad or iPhone.

They would be able to place a call from basically anywhere in the room or even adjacent rooms on the echo which is a nice piece of mind for times if they happen to fall or need assistance of any sort.

Good point. I'm sold in the echo, with voice calling, and even video, this is 100% buy for my grandma. Disappointed apple has nothing like this. An iPhone or iPad does not comes close to the ease of use that is the echo. I have to admit the microphones are impressive.
[doublepost=1494652415][/doublepost]

Between the amazon echo, surface laptop and the new Fitbit smartwatch, it's like the industry has all but given up on design instead of doubling down against Apple.

I predict another year of stellar profits for Apple.



The amazon echo isn't available in Singapore, meaning I will never get one.

Any upcoming Siri speaker will be, meaning I can get one if I ever felt inclined to.

I doubt that, even if the echo was available, you would not purchase it

If you get the identical product from apple, costing twice or three times, I'm certain it will be a guaranteed purchase.

I know you love your apple products, but don't use echo availability as an excuse if you never intend to purchase one? Correct ?

This is if apple ever produces one. I'd expect another 2-3 years of milking the existing products with little risk and innovating via new colours....like the red iPhone 7. While I support product red, that was lame.

 

[Mactendo]

Between the amazon echo, surface laptop and the new Fitbit smartwatch, it's like the industry has all but given up on design instead of doubling down against Apple.

I'd say Apple given up on design since Steve passed. They released a lot of ugly products starting from iOS/macOS redesign to iPhone 6, Mac Pro, etc.

 

[RodoBobJon]

I'm totally on-board with this type of "ambient computing," where there are various screens, cameras, and microphones throughout my home which all interact seamlessly. But's it's very important that my phone, watch, iPad, and laptop also be endpoints.

This is a bit of a conundrum, as Amazon is unlikely to ever have a mobile platform capable of supplanting iOS. But on the other hand, Apple has an ideology that may be too device-centric to ever realize this vison of ambient computing, which is fundamentally cloud-based. Sure, Apple can and probably will release a Siri-enabled speaker, but it will likely be an integrated and expensive AV device. To fully realize this vision, Apple needs to sell cheap(ish) and dumb(ish) cloud endpoints that can be easily placed throughout the house. Is that something they would ever do? Expensive hardware has always been their method of monetization.