Amazon recently released their newest device in their lineup of smart home digital assistants, the Echo Show. The Echo Show is a touchscreen Echo with all the same capabilities as other Alexa-enabled devices.

While Amazon has still not officially launched any of its Echo or Alexa products in Canada, you can use the Echo Show in Canada with a few small workarounds as we'll cover in this review.

Setup

When you plug-in and turn on your Echo Show for the first time, you’ll be prompted to connect the device to your Wi-Fi network. Once you’ve done that, you’ll be asked to login to your Amazon account. While you’ll be able to login with your Amazon.ca account just fine, to watch Amazon Prime Video, you’ll need to have an Amazon.com Prime account.

Next your Echo Show will see if there are any updates while it shows you a quick introduction video of what the device can do. After your device has updated, your Echo Show is ready to go.

In addition to doing all the things that Alexa can do via voice, the Echo Show will be able to (as the name implies) show you things. You’ll be able to watch flash briefings instead of just listening to them. So you can say things like, “Alexa, ask CNN for my video flash briefing.”

Video

You will also be able to watch YouTube videos by just asking, “Alexa, show me videos of puppies.” One thing to note about watching YouTube videos, is that you’re only able to search via voice since there's no actual app on the device. And if you want to watch the latest Star Wars trailer, just say, “Alexa, show me the latest trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi” and it will show you the latest trailer found on IMDB (which is owned by Amazon) on the screen.

If you have an Amazon.com Prime subscription, you also can also watch movies and TV shows on Prime Video. While Amazon introduced its Prime Video service to Canada in December 2016, you’ll need an Amazon.com Prime account to use Prime Video on the Echo Show. I tried watching Prime Video content using my Amazon.ca Prime account but it didn’t work. But when you do connect using an Amazon.com Prime account, you can say things like, “Alexa, show me The Grand Tour” and the device will search for it on Prime Video and then give you the option of which episode to watch.

Music

If you’re listening to music on the Echo Show, it should sound pretty great thanks to the dual 2-inch speakers and Dolby audio support. The Echo Show will also display lyrics while playing music and supports popular streaming services like Spotify, iHeartRadio and TuneIn Radio. It also supports Bluetooth, so you can stream music locally from your phone or tablet.

Alexa, what can you do?

When you ask Alexa for the weather on the Echo Show, it will display it on the screen in addition to speaking it to you. Even though, Amazon's Echo devices (including the Echo Show) aren't officially available in Canada.

Amazon has just recently added the ability for Canadians to their own address (which can be set within the Alexa app), so then you can just say, "Alexa, what's the weather?" and the Echo Show will display weather info for your current location.

This also works on other Echo devices. Before, you would have to say something like, “Alexa, what’s the weather in Toronto?”

Smart Home

Most people will use Echo devices as a starting point for making their house into a smart home and the Echo Show is no different. The device can easily be used as a smart home hub, allowing smart home devices to connect to your network. With the added benefit of the screen on the Echo Show, you’ll be able to say things like, “Alexa, show me who is at the door” and if you have a smart device like the Ring video doorbell, the Echo Show will display the video feed from the Ring. Some of the other smart home integrations available include WeMo, Samsung SmartThings, Philips Hue, Ecobee, Insteon, Wink and much more.

The Echo Show comes with a 5-megapixel front-facing camera which can be used to video call your friends and family (as long as they have the Amazon Alexa app or an Echo Show). You can also use your Echo Show for audio calls to your other Echo devices using Amazon’s Drop-In feature.

The Echo Show can connect to the Amazon’s fashion focused device, the Echo Look. You’ll also be able to do the standard things like setting alarms, creating timers or even viewing your calendar. The Echo Show makes for a great alarm clock replacement and the screen will automatically dim depending on your room’s lighting, but it still may be too bright even on the lowest brightness setting at night.

Just like other Echo devices, there are hundreds of Alexa skills that can be enabled on the Echo Show. And because the Show has a screen, you can expect that many apps will use the touchscreen to its advantage.

Buying the Echo Show

For those living in the U.S., the Echo Show can be purchased from Amazon.com. While the Echo Show has not been officially released in Canada yet, Canadians can now buy the Echo Show from Wantboard. 

The Echo Show is available in two colours, black and white.

In Summary

The Echo Show is for those who want a top-of-the-line Echo complete with video and great sound.

Canadians Compatibility: with the exception of Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Music, Canadians should be able to use all of the Echo Show's capabilities. A few workarounds may be required to get location-specific information. 

Where to Buy

• Canada:  Wantboard
• United States: Amazon.com