Amazon's Echo Show: Do You Need Another Screen?

Digital speakers powered by virtual assistants are one of the hottest consumer product categories right now. Apple Inc. recently debuted its Siri-controlled HomePod, Google launched its Home speaker last fall and Amazon.com Inc., the pioneer, has been churning out Alexa-powered devices for the past few years. This week, the online retailer is taking it a step further, adding a screen to its popular speaker system with a device called the Echo Show. But is another screen really what consumers have been asking for, and is it worth the extra money over the regular Echo?

Voice-activated speakers are not essential purchases. I don't see the benefit to looking up a weather forecast on a speaker attached to a screen, when you can easily do that with your smartphone's voice assistant. And for those of you who have a portable tablet or a big-screen TV in your home, would you really want to watch a video on the Echo Show's 7-inch screen?

That said, let's say you're already planning on spending $180 on a regular Echo because you want a digital speaker. The louder and higher-quality audio of the Echo Show, and the added ability to see information on a screen instead of only hearing it, might be worth the extra $50. Think about pulling up a recipe video while your hands are employed on a cooking task. The Echo Show would also make for a capable (albeit expensive) hub for home intercoms and security cameras.