Top critical review
1.0 out of 5 starsSo much promise - so little delivery
Reviewed in Canada on October 18, 2022
DEC 2022 Update.
Well, they did it. This device was below average, but they put new firmware on, and it's totally USELESS now. I am looking for a Chromebook to hang on my wall to replace it, as we speak. There is no more browser, which means some native apps, like Netflix and Youtube. But now these two things have almost zero voice control, and the only way to work them is to use an on-screen mouse, which is way worse than it sounds. Oh wait, you can BUY an "Echo Show Remote"... they keep reminding me. Oh yeah, and youtube app.. ads are now unskippable. Unlike in the browser. So if you don't BUY youtube, you are stuck watching the godawful 3 to 10 minute ads.
FROM BAD TO WORSE.
I was REALLY excited about this device. I mean, REALLY excited. I pre-ordered it on the first day it was available. I waited through delays, and was thrilled to get it the day after it became available. It looked fine on the wall, and even though it seemed limited, I assumed that development was ongoing, and that it would get better.
Well, one year on, and it hasn't improved one single bit. I honestly don't think there is ANY development for this device - and that includes Amazon and Third Party. And why would a third party develop for this platform? You can only have a few plugins installed at any time, and Amazon uses almost all those slots, plugging its music and its sales platforms.
It's not a very responsive device - touching the screen is very laggy, and to be honest, I wish voice control was better, because actually touching the device makes it much less desirable, due to fingerprints. Some things that should be no-brainers, like idle slide-shows for example, work sometimes and not others. Music services are useless. You are going to have to use Youtube on the VERY laggy browser provided, and it runs poorly (to say the least).
So what you essentially have here is a glorified Echo Dot, with a screen. I had so many hopes for this device. And it dashed them all. And, as I mentioned earlier, there is no development, no updates on the device. It feels like an abandoned platform.