Apple made a big splash early this October with its massive smart home announcement, including new Siri AI features, the company’s first smart display called HomeView and the long-awaited smart speaker , the HomePod Mini 2 .

Now Amazon’s here with its new Echo lineup, and we’re all comparing these smart speakers and smart displays with what Apple is offering. What’s interesting is that Amazon is taking a completely different path with its new home devices — especially the latest Echo Show, which is currently available for preorder . Here’s what that means and why it matters for potential buyers this holiday season.

Amazon’s Echo Show 16 is everything the HomeView is not

The Echo Show 16 is different from the HomeView in nearly every way. Amazon

Apple’s first smart display relies heavily on Siri AI and audio features as a selling point, with a design a bit like the Echo Show 11 .…