Amazon Upgrades Top-End Echo Show, Adds Zoom Support

Amazon beefed up video capabilities of its Echo Show smart displays, including adding Zoom support combined with Alexa control. Users can join Zoom calls by saying, “Alexa join my Zoom meeting,” it said Wednesday, announcing preorders for the devices due to ship next month. The second-gen Echo Show 8 (starting at $129) has a 13-megapixel wide-angle camera vs. the first-edition 1-megapixel version, adaptive color and offers digital pan and zoom. Friends can share photos to the display. The revamped Echo Show 5 ($85) has double the pixels on its HD camera; a kids’ version starts at $95 and includes a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+. The smart displays have mic and camera controls and the ability to view and delete voice recordings. All new-generation devices come with built-in shutters to cover the camera.