Amazon Echo Show 11 Review

Amazon Echo Show 11: Introduction

Rather than being a fundamentally different product with more power and features than its smaller sibling, the Echo Show 11 is really just an Echo Show 8 (4)^th generation), with a larger display.

So it’s not that expensive otherwise. If you want a really big screen, there are plenty to like, but the smaller versions are better value.

design and components

The Echo Show 11 is Amazon’s largest desktop smart display since the introduction of the Echo Show 10 in 2021. Skip ahead, the new big smart display is a completely different product.

The Echo Show 10 came with a fancy motorized stand that allows you to rotate the screen to face you. I was a fan, but all the extra technology adds to the price and most people can live without it.

So we have the Echo Show 11, which is a more standard product with a fixed base. Additionally, the base is the same as the recent Echo Show 8 stand. This makes sense for Amazon. This is because only one base needs to be manufactured for two products with the same color selection and the same power input.

The only difference between the two devices is the screen, with the 11-inch model having a larger, higher-resolution display. The thin screen hangs down from the base, giving the impression of floating, making it a beautiful product to look at.

This smart display is more thoughtfully designed than the old wedge-shaped Echo Show display.

I would like the ability to tilt the screen instead of a fixed display. If you want to adjust the display, you will need to purchase an optional stand.

The back of the device has a power input, which is the only port this device has.

The physical controls are located on the side of the screen and provide volume and a mute button to turn off the camera. Like the Echo Show 8, there’s no longer a camera slider to block the webcam. I think that’s unfortunate. The mute button can block your camera and microphone, but the slider gives you a little more peace of mind.

Features

Amazon Echo Show 11 uses the same internals as Echo Show 8 and is powered by an AZ3 processor with an AI accelerator built for Alexa+. This is fine if you’re in a country with Alexa+, but we don’t have the option to run the GenAI assistant in the UK, so we weren’t able to test its performance.

What I can say is that the Echo Show 11 responds well to Alexa requests and even picks up soft whispers in a fairly noisy room. Alexa then does exactly what it would do on any other device. That is, the results will be slightly different.

For general conversations and smart home control, Alexa works well and takes most requests. The drawback of this service lies in the details when external information is required. For example, Alexa’s database of local restaurants isn’t as up-to-date as Google Maps.

With a full HD screen, the Echo Show 11’s display is a little sharper than the Echo Show 8’s display. You won’t get any more information, but the display and widgets will be slightly larger and easier to see.

By default, the screen displays a slideshow of your photos or Amazon selections. You can also view news headlines and recipe ideas. Adjust settings to hide unnecessary sections.

Visual ID is integrated within Amazon Echo Show 11 and uses the camera to recognize individuals standing in front of the device. This allows the smart display to show personalized information, such as customized calendar details, making it ideal for households with multiple users.

In my opinion, the Echo Show 11 offers the best Alexa experience by combining voice interaction with visual output. For example, if you ask about today’s weather, the display will show you the current conditions, and you can swipe the screen to see more information, including hourly weather forecasts.

When controlling smart devices like thermostats or lights, the interface provides convenient on-screen controls. For example, you can use the slider to adjust the brightness of the light.

Voice commands are not always necessary. The smart home section gives you direct control over your connected devices, and sometimes that control isn’t as useful as you think. For example, you can change the brightness of all the lights in your office at the same time, but you have to adjust the color and temperature for each bulb individually.

Cameras can live stream to a smart display, and Ring owners have access to thumbnails of all cameras so they can easily see what’s going on and answer the doorbell without their smartphone.

Add widgets to your home screen to quickly access information like upcoming calendar events or recently played songs on Spotify. The main problem is that there aren’t that many widgets to choose from, and some of them aren’t as useful as they seem at first glance.

A good example is smart home widgets. This will pull the device from your home-wide favorites list. I think it would be nice to be able to choose which device to display it on. For example, you want to install lighting and smart plugs on your Echo Show in your office. In the kitchen, I would like to display the kitchen lights in the widget.

The device features a comprehensive smart home hub with Zigbee, Thread, and full Matter support. It also includes Omnisense, which uses both cameras and onboard sensors to accurately detect indoor occupancy. This feature performs very well and allows routines to be triggered by presence or absence more accurately than using a simple motion sensor.

This Show 11 also has adaptive content from Omnisense. When viewed from a distance, the device displays a slideshow, and as you get closer, the screen switches to display an interactive widget instead.

Video streaming via dedicated apps for Netflix and Amazon Prime Video is supported. Disney+ and YouTube can only be accessed through an integrated web browser, which may not provide a seamless experience. The Echo Show 15 is better because it has the full Fire TV platform.

Sound and video quality

The audio performance is exactly the same as the Echo Show 8, as there is a 2.8-inch woofer and dual full-range drivers inside the base. Audio performance is generally very good.

OK Go’s bass-heavy This Too Shall Pass is delivered with enough oomph to bring out the drums with plenty of power.

Stereo separation is limited due to the proximity of the drivers, but the speakers handle stereo tracks well, providing a sense of movement such as Foo Fighters’ Enough Space with its swirling guitar intro.

The larger screen has a higher 1080p resolution compared to the Echo Show 8, so videos are a little sharper, although there’s still no HDR. I found the brightness and image uniformity to be good, although the blacks looked slightly gray. For movies and television, audio remains clear and impactful, effectively conveying action scenes.

Overall, I don’t really mind watching a lot of content on this screen, like bar instructional videos or cooking videos.

The built-in 13MP webcam has good image quality and automatic tracking and framing, but is mainly useful for video calls between Echo Show devices. While it’s nice to have this feature, I doubt many people have ever made a video call with their Echo Show. I don’t.

final thoughts

With the Amazon Echo Show 11, you pay more for a larger screen and higher resolution. The core features and audio performance are the same as the Echo Show 8, making it a much better value. If you want a big screen, you’ll love this smart display, but the smaller version is best for most people.

Test method

When we publish a review, you can rest assured that it is the result of long-term testing.

Smart displays typically exist within an ecosystem, or set of products that all work together in harmony. It is also designed to offer a variety of cleaning options. Therefore, it is impossible to use a robot vacuum cleaner for a week and give a verdict.

We test smart home kits all day every day, so we know what’s important and how a particular smart vacuum compares to the alternatives you’re considering.

Our reviews are comprehensive, objective and unbiased, and of course we don’t receive direct compensation to review devices.