At Amazon's annual event, the company today presented the new Echo Show 15, which is based on a 15.6-inch display with full HD resolution and can be attached to the wall – a stand is available separately. A customizable start screen should make it usable for a wide variety of areas.
AZ2 for person recognition
The Amazon AZ2 Neural Edge processor is also new, after Amazon introduced the first SoC of this type with the AZ1 in the Echo exactly a year ago. The machine learning processor with quad-core architecture enables computer vision algorithms to be processed directly on the device. In this way, the Echo Show 15 can recognize a person who has created a visual ID and process their images directly on the device. Unlike the Echo Show 10, an individual person is recognized, not the mere presence of any person.
Amazon Echo Show 15 (Image: Amazon)
Visual ID personalizes the start screen
For the first time, an Echo Show can be used in both portrait and landscape format and is visually reminiscent of a picture frame. The redesigned home screen with Alexa widgets also offers more customization options and new personalization functions using the visual ID. For example, the home screen can display a family calendar, to-do lists, and reminders. If it is not used, however, it can display photos that have been uploaded to Amazon Photos in the cloud. Sticky notes serve as digital messages for other users, for example to leave a message for children. These sticky notes can also be assigned directly to another user so that they are only displayed to him if he is recognized.
Alexa can use the visual ID to personalize the information on the Echo Show 15's screen. The screen is then automatically updated after recognition to show users a greeting, reminders, calendar events, recently played music or sticky notes from other users or guests. Creating a visual ID is optional and requires a separate setup. All images used to create the visual ID are encrypted and only stored locally on the device. The visual ID can be deleted at any time.
Amazon Echo Show 15 (Image: Amazon) 
Amazon Echo Show 15 (Image: Amazon) Show 15 (Image: Amazon) Smart home widgets and 5 MP camera
Like the other Echo Show devices, the Echo Show 15 can also be used to control smart home devices. The most frequently used smart home devices can now be displayed and controlled more quickly via the smart home favorites widget. With the 15.6-inch screen, users of the Echo Show 15 can access a picture-in-picture display with video cameras, for example. The 5-megapixel camera with a cover that can be locked at any time allows video calls to be made again – also via drop-in to other Alexa devices in the household.
Video content benefits from the higher video resolution in 1080p, with which content from Prime Video or Netflix can now be played.
price and availability
The Echo Show 15 will be available for 249.99 euros, but Amazon has not yet announced a date. Interested parties can now make a reservation on Amazon * in order to be informed as soon as the device is available. The stand and other accessories are sold separately and available at the same time as the Echo Show 15.
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Amazon Echo Show 15 (Image: Amazon )
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Amazon Echo Show 15 
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Amazon Echo Show 15 New data protection settings
Today, Amazon not only presented the Echo Show 15, but also announced additional privacy settings and control options. From the beginning of next year, users will be able to sort the voice recording history by individual household members, provided they have set up a voice ID in the Alexa app or in the Alexa privacy settings. With the voice command “Alexa, update my privacy settings”, however, Alexa will soon help users adjust the settings, such as how long voice recordings are stored and how they are used.
From now on, however, Echo users will receive a reminder 30 days after setting up their device to check their privacy settings in the Alexa app. This is done in addition to the annual email that Amazon sends to all Alexa users to advise them to check their privacy settings.
Fully local processing in the US
Only in the USA is it possible for users of an Echo or Echo Show 10 with an AZ1 processor to have voice control carried out entirely locally, so that the requests are no longer sent to the cloud – a novelty in smart speakers with digital voice assistants.
Update 09/28/2021 8:32 pm
As Amazon revealed after the presentation of the Echo Show 15, the visual ID for the Echo Show 10 is also AZ1 and even the Echo Show 8 planned, even if the latter does not have a Neural SoC. However, there is not yet an appointment for the visual ID on the older devices.
Face recognition via visual ID should work at a distance of around 2.5 meters, with the Echo Show 15's camera covering a field of view of 110 degrees. If two people step into the detection area, the personalized surface of the user is activated, who is first clearly recognized. An Amazon Science blog post provides deeper insights into the tech.
The new user interface of the Echo Show 15 will also be slightly adapted to the Echo Show 10 and Show 8 in order to better align them to the size of the respective device. For example, widgets are only displayed after a swiping gesture.
ComputerBase has received information about this item from Amazon under NDA. The only requirement was the earliest possible publication time.
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