[2] It has received positive reviews, with critics noting its improved sound quality over the standard Echo speaker, its simplicity, and how the screen is used to supplement Alexa rather than act as a full-featured tablet.

[2] A second generation of the Echo Show was unveiled at an Alexa-themed product event by Amazon on September 20, 2018, for release the following month.

[13] The Echo Show 15 is a 15.6-inch, 1080p Full HD device designed to be wall-mounted (a departure from previous tabletop forms).

The devices contain motion sensors to automatically wake its screen when someone enters a room; in this state, it can also display prompts regarding news headlines, suggested Alexa commands, and other information.

[18][19][20][21] The Echo Show initially supported YouTube videos; on September 26, 2017, it was revealed that Google (who manufactures Google Home, a direct competitor to the Amazon Echo line) had blocked the device's access to the service, citing violations of its terms of service and ongoing negotiations.

While Amazon later worked around the restriction by using the web version, Google announced that it would block YouTube from the Echo Show, as well as the Fire TV platform, citing Amazon's ongoing restrictions against the sale of products which compete with its own video ecosystem, and refusal to support its own video platform on Google devices.

The security team exploited the code using "an integer overflow JavaScript bug to hijack the device while it was connected to a malicious WiFi network.

"[26] The Verge compared the Echo Show to previous "internet appliances" such as the 3Com Audrey and Chumby, but acknowledged that neither of them was equipped with a voice-activated virtual assistant, and both were built with too much functionality.

In comparison, Amazon was praised for having intentionally limited the amount of touchscreen-oriented functionality on the Echo Show, so that the device would not be complex.

Its sound quality was praised for being able to "fill your entire room and then some", and the ability to look up and view YouTube videos was "not the fastest experience", but "quick enough and has yet to glitch out on us."

[21] In a review of the second-generation model, Pocket-lint praised its improvements to audio quality (albeit being "bass-heavy"), screen size, Zigbee support, and "neater" design.