Amazon Echo Show 11 Review: A Bigger Screen for Alexa+ (Research-Based)
Disclosure: Bionic Artisan is reader-supported. Some links on this page are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. This never changes what we write. Read our full affiliate disclosure. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
How we wrote this: this is a research-based review built from Amazon’s own product information, the public Amazon listing, and published reviews by PCMag and The Verge, all checked on Nov. 9, 2026. We have not tested the Echo Show 11 hands-on, so there are no made-up scores or star ratings here. Prices change often, so check the current price on Amazon. Images are AI-generated illustrations, not product photos.
Amazon’s Echo Show 11 is an 11-inch smart display built for Alexa+, the company’s generative-AI version of its voice assistant. It sits between the smaller Echo Show 8 and the wall-mounted Echo Show 15 and 21, and it is aimed at living rooms and kitchens where you want a bigger screen and fuller sound. Here is what it does, who it suits, and where reviewers say it falls short.
Echo Show 11 at a glance
- What it is: an 11-inch tabletop smart display with Alexa+ built in, a 13MP camera, and a built-in smart home hub.
- AI features: conversational Alexa+ for questions, smart home control, routines created by voice, recipes, calendar and Ring camera summaries (some features need extra subscriptions).
- Sensors: Omnisense presence detection plus ambient light and temperature sensors that can trigger routines.
- Best for: larger rooms, shared family spaces and Alexa smart homes that want a bigger screen than the Echo Show 8.
- Not ideal for: anyone who dislikes on-screen ads, needs a physical camera shutter, or already owns the Echo Show 8.
- Price: changes often, so check the current price on Amazon.
What the Echo Show 11 is
Amazon announced the Echo Show 11 alongside a new fourth-generation Echo Show 8 in September 2025 (The Verge). Amazon says both were “built from the ground up for Alexa+” and calls them its most advanced smart displays (About Amazon). PCMag describes the Show 11 as effectively replacing the older Echo Show 10, and as “the Echo Show 8, but bigger”: the two share the same features, processor and speakers, with the Show 11 adding a larger, sharper screen (PCMag).
The design is a thin screen attached to a rounded, fabric-covered speaker base. It sits on a table out of the box; Amazon also sells an optional magnetic stand that lets you tilt or rotate the screen. It comes in Graphite and Glacier White.
Key specs
| Spec | Echo Show 11 |
|---|---|
| Screen | 11-inch touchscreen; PCMag lists 1,920 x 1,200 resolution |
| Processor | Amazon AZ3 Pro chip, designed for on-device AI tasks |
| Camera | 13MP, with auto-framing on video calls and Visual ID face recognition |
| Audio | Two front-facing full-range drivers plus a 2.8-inch woofer; Amazon says up to double the bass of the previous Echo Show 8 |
| Sensors | Omnisense (ultrasound and Wi-Fi radar presence detection), ambient light, temperature |
| Smart home | Built-in hub with Zigbee and Thread; Matter support |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth |
| Privacy controls | Button that turns off the microphones and camera; no physical camera shutter |
| Size | About 7.2 x 10 x 5 inches (per PCMag) |
Sources: PCMag review (updated Nov. 4, 2026) and About Amazon’s Echo Show 8 and 11 guide, checked Nov. 9, 2026.
What Alexa+ adds
Alexa+ is the main reason this device exists. It understands looser, more natural requests, so you do not need exact phrasing. PCMag said “It’s too dark in here” was enough for Alexa+ to raise the lights, and that it created a routine (turn on the living room lights when the door unlocks) simply from a spoken request. Alexa+ can also search the web, manage calendars and reminders, suggest recipes based on ingredients you have, and summarize smart home notifications.
With a Ring Home Premium subscription, Amazon says Alexa+ can summarize camera events and find specific clips, such as package deliveries (About Amazon). The Omnisense sensors let routines react to presence or room temperature, for example turning on lights and reading the weather when someone walks into the kitchen in the morning.
Access to Alexa+ on Echo devices is included with Amazon Prime or available as a separate monthly subscription, according to The Verge. See Amazon’s current pricing for details, because plans can change.
What reviewers report
We collected findings from published reviews. These are their observations, not our test results:
- Sound is a highlight. PCMag’s Andrew Gebhart (review updated Nov. 4, 2026) found the Show 11 loud and balanced, with solid low end for its size, and said it outperformed Amazon’s larger Echo Show 15 and 21 for audio. He heard no difference from the Echo Show 8, which uses the same speakers.
- The screen is sharp, according to PCMag, which said pictures and video looked clear and colorful and that the display adapted well to room light. The camera followed him “slowly but accurately” on video calls.
- Alexa+ is strong for the smart home. The Verge’s Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, who used an Echo Show 11 in her kitchen as part of a year-long Alexa+ review (Oct. 8, 2026), called Alexa+ the best smart home assistant she had tested, with simple commands now taking a few seconds instead of much longer in 2025.
- But ads are a real drawback. The Verge said Echo Show displays now show ads between photos and the clock even when home-screen content is turned off, including video ads, and that an ad-removal option costs a monthly fee per device. It recommended Echo speakers instead for people who do not want ads.
- The personal-assistant side is uneven. The Verge found agent-style tasks, such as ordering food or booking a service, often failed to finish, and that Alexa+’s memory feature sometimes forgot details. PCMag also found the interface cluttered and noted occasional misheard words, though the on-screen transcript made corrections easy.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Large, sharp 11-inch screen that reads well across a room
- Full, loud sound for a smart display, per PCMag
- Alexa+ handles natural smart home requests and voice-built routines
- Built-in Zigbee, Thread and Matter hub
- Omnisense presence and temperature triggers for routines
- Auto-framing camera for video calls
Cons
- On-screen ads, including video ads, per The Verge; removing them costs extra
- Same features and sound as the smaller Echo Show 8
- Cluttered menus and app experience
- No physical camera shutter, only an off button
- Agentic and memory features are inconsistent
- Some features need Prime, an Alexa+ plan or Ring Home Premium
Echo Show 11 vs. Echo Show 8
Because PCMag found the two share the same chip, speakers, camera and features, the choice mostly comes down to screen size and room. PCMag preferred the Show 11 in a living room and the Show 8 in a kitchen, and named the smaller Show 8 its pick for most people. If you want a bigger, sharper picture for a family space or viewing across the room, the Show 11 is the one built for that. Our earlier look at the Echo Dot with Alexa+ covers a screenless, lower-cost way into Alexa+ that also avoids display ads.
Related reading: Insta360 Link 2 Review: An AI Webcam That Follows You Around (Research-Based), and Pocketalk S2 Review: A Pocket AI Translator With Built-In Data (Research-Based).
Our take
Based on the specs and the reviews we read, the Echo Show 11 is a well-made way to put Alexa+ on a big screen, with sound that punches above its size and smart home features that have genuinely improved. The trade-offs are just as clear: ads on the display, a crowded interface, and AI assistant tricks that do not always finish the job. If your home already runs on Alexa and you want a larger screen than the Echo Show 8, it fits that role. If ads would bother you, a screenless Echo speaker may be the better choice. Check the current price on Amazon, and remember this is a research-based review, not a hands-on test.
FAQ
Do I need a subscription to use the Echo Show 11?
No for basic use, but Alexa+ on Echo devices requires Amazon Prime or a separate Alexa+ subscription, according to The Verge, and Ring camera summaries need Ring Home Premium, according to Amazon. See Amazon’s current pricing for details.
Does it have a camera shutter?
No physical shutter, according to PCMag. A button on the side turns off the microphones and camera, and you can also disable the camera in settings or by voice.
Is it a good gift?
It can be for someone who already uses Alexa or wants a kitchen or living-room display for photos, recipes and smart home control. For more ideas, see our top 10 AI-powered Christmas gifts.
Prefer white? See the Glacier White version on Amazon.
Sources: About Amazon guide to the Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11; The Verge launch report (September 2025); Amazon listing for Echo Show 11 (ASINs B0DC91H3JK and B0DC96PPZK), checked Nov. 9, 2026; PCMag review by Andrew Gebhart (updated Nov. 4, 2026); The Verge’s year-long Alexa+ review by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy (Oct. 8, 2026). Research-based review, not hands-on testing. Images are AI-generated illustrations, not product photos.
