Review: Amazon Echo Show 15 (2024) — a big, bright smart display with an in-built FireTV

What do you get when you cross a smart display with a FireTV?  An Amazon Echo Show 15.  The Amazon Echo Show 15 is a massive display that is not just a smart display but also doubles as your TV with its built-in FireTV OS.

I’ve used many Amazon Echo Show displays before (and I currently have three in everyday use throughout my house), so I was keen to try out this extremely large Echo display.

The Amazon Echo Show 15 is a smart kitchen TV “for home organisation.”  Basically, it’s an Echo Display device combined with a built-in FireTV. As you may have guessed from the name, it has a 15.6-inch FHD display (1080p) with a home screen that allows you to place customisable widgets to easily and quickly keep track of your life.

The Echo Show 15’s design resembles a photo frame, so it will fit in with your kitchen decor. The box includes wall-mounting options and an optional stand if you have nowhere to mount it. Personally, I used the stand because after mounting it, you need to find a way to power it, and I’m not a fan of visible cables.

The stand is similar to that of a PC monitor, although it does not move vertically. Instead, it tilts and swivels, allowing you to ensure the best viewing angles of the display wherever you are seated. The viewing angle of the display is quite good, with it viewable from a very steep angle—although that would not be all that enjoyable. The stand, though, is not cheap, at a tick under AU$170 which is a bit cheeky by Amazon — that is a lot of money for a stand.

Around the display is a white picture border, and at the top of this is a 13MP camera with a physical shutter. The display also includes decent speakers with two 2-inch woofers and two 0.6-inch tweeters. The speakers were good enough to hear the media clearly and loudly, so you do not need to pair the device with external speakers, although many may wish to to provide better audio quality.

The display itself is bright and sharp, offering decent picture quality. I was able to install Kayo and easily watch a basketball game, with the screen keeping up with the play without any blurring.  

Unfortunately, it seems the device was unable to handle the NBA app, with a lot of lagging and stuttering in the game. I put that down to the NBA app, though, as, even though they are a massive company/league, their apps have always been average and poorly coded (even the reply was stuttering)—and Kayo worked perfectly for the exact same game.  

The Echo Show 15 includes a remote control, and if you’ve used FireTV before, you’ll see many similarities. It is easy to use and has direct shortcuts for Prime Video, Amazon Music, Netflix, and an ‘all apps’ button.  

While there is a remote control, the display is also touch-sensitive, so you can easily control it with your hands. Voice control can also be used to control the Echo Show 15, although in my case, it didn’t work very often because a different Echo device often picked up the command.

The Echo Show 15’s home screen lets you view your calendar, contacts, TV apps, and smart home devices easily. Alexa will also show you the local weather, making the home screen a one-stop shop for all the information you may want on hand.

Do you have a smart home controlled by Alexa? Then, the Echo Show 15 can help you out. Whether you access the Alexa widget and control devices that way or ask Alexa to perform certain functions, the Echo Show 15 covers all your smart home needs.

The home screen can also be customised for each user. You can set up multiple profiles with individualised content and then use your voice or face to identify the user on the display and have the home page adjust accordingly.

Use cases

Whether you’re watching YouTube, streaming your favourite show, or simply using it as a photo frame, this device can do pretty much everything. It is big enough to be seen from across the room and loud enough to be heard from the same spot.

I was able to use it to control my smart home, watch the occasional YouTube video and stream Netflix and Kayo, without any issues at all.  Netflix and Kayo both worked perfectly, just as they would on your smart TV.  

I was able to view my daily calendar on the display, although I use this infrequently so it is neither here nor there for me.  

Using the camera to drop in on another Echo display worked exceptionally well. The video was clear and crisp, and it responded to my movements smoothly without any issues. Don’t forget that the camera can also be used as a security camera to monitor your house too.

Where to buy?

The Amazon Echo Show 15 is available where Amazon devices are sold, including Amazon for AU$549 with the stand setting you back another AU$170. If you are in the Amazon/Alexa ecosystem and are looking for a big, bright kitchen display that can do everything then this is for you.