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A bigger screen, smarter Alexa, and a wallet-sized dilemma.

Amazon

Smart displays have promised to run my entire house for years. However, I mostly end up using them as fancy kitchen timers or home security monitors. Amazon’s newest one wants to change my mind, and it comes with a serious price tag.

The company just unveiled the Echo Show 16. It is a 16-inch smart display that isn’t just a kitchen timer but a small TV, thanks to built-in Fire TV . The baseline version costs $499.99, and the anti-glare version costs $569.99. Pre-orders get $100 off; the device ships late this year.

Amazon

What’s actually new on the Echo Show 16?

I’ll start with the screen, where the most meaningful change is. The display is about 10% bigger than the Echo Show 15’s, but it sits inside an aluminum frame that’s nearly 40% thinner. In simpler terms, the display comes with much slimmer bezels.

Then comes an optional Nanomatte finish.…