I lived with the Echo Show 11 for weeks - and loved it (until I looked closer)

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Echo Show 11 is 1 of Amazon's newest astute displays, disposable for $220 but connected merchantability for $180.
• The 11-inch show comes with Alexa+ built in, Omnisense beingness sensors, and upgraded audio.
• Unfortunately, the Echo Show 11 doesn't person a carnal camera privateness shutter, and the AI could inactive usage immoderate tuning.

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My hubby is simply a cybersecurity developer, and overmuch to his chagrin, our location is filled with Amazon Echo devices. After investigating each the mainstream virtual assistants successful my house, I've recovered Alexa to beryllium the champion location automation strategy for effectual dependable control. After investigating the Echo Show 11 with Alexa+, I'm much convinced of this than ever.

Let's beryllium honorable -- the Amazon Alexa strategy has large drawbacks compared to Google Home's efficiency, Home Assistant's privateness and customization features, and Apple HomeKit's information and reliability. But Amazon has empowered its virtual adjunct with generative AI and created a well-rounded user interaction. 

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This contributes to its presumption arsenic the astir fashionable astute location assistant, portion offering the astir seamless, easy-to-set-up acquisition for astir users. The Echo Show 11 is simply a large mode to acquisition Alexa+ to power your astute location ecosystem and, beyond that, go your home's bid center.  

This Amazon Echo Show 11 features a 1920x1200 solution to present crisp images erstwhile streaming connected its 11-inch touchscreen, and functionas arsenic a gateway to usage Alexa+ with each the associated benefits specified arsenic calendar syncing, buying lists, and idiosyncratic profiles. 

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With its front-facing camera, the Echo Show 11 tin tackle video calls, though the show doesn't swivel to travel you similar the older Echo Show 10 did. The camera besides doesn't person a carnal privateness screen arsenic connected older models; instead, it lone offers the enactment to power it disconnected electronically successful the UI.

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

The upgraded talker connected the backmost of the Echo Show 11 blows the older Echo Dot retired of the water, with booming bass and crisp vocals, adjacent astatine large volumes. The upgraded audio strategy features front-facing speakers, a woofer, and full-range drivers, delivering amended dependable than connected older Echo Shows.

The Echo Show 11 besides supports Omnisense, an upgraded beingness sensor that combines the display's camera, microphones, and different sensors to trigger antithetic surface behaviors for much context-aware routines. Admittedly, I felt a spot icky the archetypal clip I approached the show and saw a "Hi, Maria!" on with a punctual of what to bash next. 

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Which brings maine to the AI elephant successful the room. The revamped Alexa+ comes with the Echo Show 11, truthful you don't request to motion up for immoderate other early-access programs to usage it earlier mounting it up. The instrumentality volition punctual you to judge utilizing Alexa+ during setup, which features generative AI for much in-depth responses. 

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

If you haven't had a accidental to usage Alexa+, I surely urge giving it a shot. While it's not the top happening to travel to the astute location world, it is rather compelling -- and it works (most of the time). Think of it similar having a countertop ChatGPT that tin power your astute lights and TVs, portion besides giving you entree to your calendar and lists. 

Just similar ChatGPT, however, Alexa+ makes mistakes. And conscionable similar ChatGPT's aboriginal days, these mistakes hap often. Alexa+ has been a enactment of caller aerial compared to the erstwhile version, adjacent if it takes a fewer days to get utilized to its overly excited dependable (though possibly each voices dependable overexcited compared to the aged Alexa).

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Still, the gen AI sets it apart. Prompting Alexa+ to usage my kids' favourite made-up characters to make a communicative has been a immense deed with my family. Alexa+ not lone generates the communicative but besides shows them a drawstring of AI-generated images to provender their imagination, which is astir arsenic adjacent arsenic you tin get to blowing my kids' minds. 

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

Be mindful that the accuracy of AI-generated contented can't beryllium relied on, arsenic these bots tin hallucinate and supply incorrect information. Alexa+ is nary objection -- it makes a batch of mistakes, misses prompts, and often says nonsense. Either way, it's a definite upgrade implicit the older version, and I'm looking guardant to seeing however Amazon improves it implicit time.

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For much applicable purposes, Alexa+ tin grip aggregate commands astatine once, similar "turn disconnected the bedside lamp and the level lamp and crook connected the nighttime light." It tin besides make contented and recognize context, truthful you tin inquire it to make a recipe, and adjacent inquire it to make a caller routine, similar "turn connected the pantry lights erstwhile idiosyncratic is detected successful the kitchen."  

ZDNET's buying advice

I urge the Echo Show 11 for those looking for a larger astute show with Alexa+ and astute location hub integrations. Thanks to its enactment for Matter, Thread, and Zigbee, the Echo Show 11 is arsenic overmuch of a astute location hub arsenic it is simply a talker and display. It's a multipurpose amusement hub for streaming video and music, moving routines, catching up connected the news, oregon uncovering recipes. 

That said, you could skip the Echo Show 11 if you similar a smaller, cheaper Echo Show that is already available, oregon if you presently usage the aged swivel-screen model. There are different systems that connection stricter privateness features, including Eufy and ones you tin tinker with similar Home Assistant.