Amazon Expands Smart Home Portfolio With Echo Show 11 and Echo Show 8 in India

The Amazon Echo Show 11 and Echo Show 8 have been released in India on Tuesday, almost three months after their worldwide debut. These new smart home gadgets from the online shopping giant are fueled by silicon chips designed by the tech giant itself, named AZ3 Pro and AZ3, respectively. They come equipped with 11-inch and 8.79-inch full HD screens, enabling users to watch their linked camera streams, favorite devices, and toggle between various modes. The Amazon Echo Show 11 and Echo Show 8 come with a new audio design and 13MP camera, respectively.

Amazon Echo Show 11 is available for a price of ₹26,999 in India. It comes in Glacier White and Graphite colors. The Echo Show 8 is priced at ₹23,999. These smart home devices are available for purchase from the Amazon India website, Flipkart, and Reliance Digital and Croma offline stores across the country.

The Amazon Echo Show 11 features a 10.95-inch Full HD (1,920 x 1,200 pixels) touchscreen display. This smart home device measures 72 x 100 x 50mm and weighs 1,302g. It features a premium 3D knit fabric finish. The Echo Show 8, on the other hand, has an 8.7-inch screen.

Powered by proprietary AZ3 and AZ3 Pro chipsets, the Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11, respectively, offer a new Alexa+ home screen experience. They run on a new operating system called Vega. According to the company, the new Echo Show lineup offers at-a-glance information and personalized content, including follow-ups based on recent conversations, information based on user preferences, and personalized notifications. However, the Alexa+ service is yet to be launched in India.

These smart home devices are equipped with 13-megapixel cameras with Visual ID, which helps them recognize when a user approaches the device, greet them, and display relevant information. They can also pair compatible security cameras and video doorbells with Alexa devices.

With voice recognition abilities, the Echo Show 11 and Echo Show 8 allow their users to set reminders, generate shopping lists, add items to to-do lists, set an alarm, obtain information about the weather or sports events, and much more, simply by giving voice instructions that begin with "Alexa" or "Hey Alexa."

Amazon has incorporated its Omnisense sensor technology into the Echo Show 11 and the Echo Show 8. This technology allows Alexa to use sensors to enable personalized and helpful routines. For instance, the user can choose the temperature as the trigger for the routine, which will enable Alexa to turn on the smart fan or the smart blinds. These smart home devices also feature enhanced presence detection, which recognizes when a user enters an area and performs actions like turning on lights or providing weather updates.

For media consumption, the Amazon Echo Show 11 and Echo Show 8 feature the same front-facing stereo speakers as the new Echo Studio, along with a custom woofer. They also feature dedicated audio support. Amazon has revamped the Media Control Center, which now allows users to browse music, ambient sound, podcasts, and more in a dedicated page. They can also search and discover music through conversations using Alexa+.

Amazon says the Echo Show 11 and Echo Show 8 are built with multiple layers of privacy controls. This includes a dedicated microphone toggle and in-app and on-device camera controls. Users can also view and delete recordings in the Alexa app.