Smart displays have revolutionized how families stay organized and connected at home. Two standout options dominating the market are the Skylight Calendar and Amazon's Echo Show series. After extensively testing both devices in my own household over several months, I've discovered significant differences that could make or break your smart home experience.
Design and Display Quality Comparison
The Skylight Calendar immediately stands out with its sleek 15-inch touchscreen that resembles a modern digital picture frame. Its minimalist design blends seamlessly into any home décor, whether mounted on the wall or placed on a counter using the included stand. The display quality is crisp and vibrant, making calendar events and photos pop with clarity.
Amazon's Echo Show 15, the closest competitor in size, features a 15.6-inch Full HD display that's equally impressive. However, its design is more utilitarian, clearly branded as an Amazon device with its distinctive fabric base and angular corners. The Echo Show 10 and smaller Echo Show models offer more compact alternatives but sacrifice screen real estate for portability.
The Hearth Display, Google's entry into this space, presents another alternative with its 7-inch screen, though it falls short when competing directly with the larger displays for family calendar management.
Calendar and Organization Features
Where the Skylight Calendar truly shines is in its purpose-built calendar functionality. The interface is intuitive, allowing family members to easily add events, set reminders, and color-code activities by person. The ability to sync with Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, and Outlook makes it incredibly versatile for mixed-device households.
During my testing period, I found the Skylight's calendar widgets particularly helpful for managing my family's complex schedule. The weekly and monthly views are clean and readable from across the room, making it perfect for kitchen or hallway placement where everyone can quickly check upcoming events.
The Echo Show 15 offers calendar integration through Alexa skills, but it's not quite as seamless. While you can view calendar events and add appointments through voice commands, the visual presentation isn't as polished or family-friendly as Skylight's dedicated interface.
Smart Home Integration and Voice Control
This is where the Echo Show ecosystem demonstrates its strength. Amazon's Alexa platform offers unparalleled smart home integration, controlling everything from lights and thermostats to security cameras and music streaming. The Echo Show 15's larger screen makes it an excellent smart home hub, displaying security camera feeds, controlling multiple devices simultaneously, and providing visual feedback for voice commands.
The Echo Show 10's unique rotating screen adds another dimension, physically turning to face you during video calls or while following recipe instructions. This feature proved surprisingly useful during my testing, especially for hands-free cooking assistance.
Skylight Calendar's smart home capabilities are more limited but growing. It focuses primarily on its core calendar and photo-sharing functions, though recent updates have added basic smart home controls for popular platforms.
Family Communication and Photo Sharing
Both platforms excel at keeping families connected, but in different ways. Skylight's photo-sharing feature allows family members to instantly send photos to the display via text message or email, creating a constantly updating digital album that everyone can enjoy. This proved to be one of my favorite features, as grandparents could easily share photos with grandchildren, and family moments were always visible in our kitchen.
The Echo Show series offers Drop In functionality for video calling between devices, plus the ability to leave video messages for family members. The larger Echo Show 15 provides an excellent video calling experience with its wide-angle camera and clear audio.
Entertainment and Media Capabilities
Echo Show devices have a clear advantage in entertainment options. They can stream music from Amazon Music, Spotify, and other services, display lyrics, and even show music videos. The integration with Amazon Prime Video allows for watching shows and movies, though the experience varies by screen size.
The Echo Show 15's larger screen makes it suitable for casual viewing while cooking or working in the kitchen. The sound quality is respectable for its size, though audiophiles might want to pair it with external speakers.
Skylight Calendar keeps entertainment features minimal, focusing instead on its core calendar and photo functions. While this means fewer distractions, it also limits versatility for families wanting an all-in-one entertainment hub.
Privacy and Security Considerations
Privacy-conscious users should carefully consider each platform's data handling. Amazon's Echo devices are always listening for the wake word, and while privacy controls have improved, some users remain concerned about data collection practices.
Skylight takes a more privacy-focused approach, with no always-listening microphones and clearer data policies. For families prioritizing privacy while still wanting smart display benefits, this could be a decisive factor.
Setup and User Experience
Setting up the Skylight Calendar was refreshingly straightforward. The initial configuration took about 15 minutes, and connecting family members' calendars was intuitive. The touchscreen interface responds well, and navigation feels natural even for less tech-savvy family members.
Echo Show setup is equally simple for those already in the Amazon ecosystem. However, maximizing its potential requires configuring various Alexa skills and smart home integrations, which can be overwhelming for beginners.
Pricing and Value Proposition
The Skylight Calendar typically retails around $300-350, positioning it as a premium calendar solution. For families primarily interested in organization and photo sharing, the focused feature set justifies the cost.
Echo Show 15 pricing fluctuates but generally falls in a similar range, while smaller Echo Show models offer budget-friendly alternatives starting around $100. The broader functionality of Echo devices often provides better value for tech-enthusiast households wanting comprehensive smart home control.
Real-World Usage Insights
After months of daily use, I've found that choice between these devices ultimately depends on your family's primary needs. If calendar management and photo sharing are your top priorities, with occasional smart home control as a bonus, the Skylight Calendar delivers a more focused, polished experience.
However, if you want a versatile smart home hub that happens to include calendar functionality, the Echo Show 15 provides significantly more capabilities, even if the calendar interface isn't quite as refined.
For smaller spaces or budget-conscious buyers, the Echo Show 10 or Echo Show 8 might offer the best compromise, providing core smart display functionality without the premium price tag of larger models.
Making Your Decision
Choose the Skylight Calendar if you prioritize family organization, love the photo-sharing features, value privacy, and prefer a device that does fewer things exceptionally well. It's perfect for families who want a beautiful, functional calendar that happens to be smart.
Opt for an Echo Show if you want comprehensive smart home integration, enjoy voice control, need entertainment options, and don't mind a more complex interface. The Echo Show 15 is ideal for tech-forward families who want one device to handle multiple functions.
Both devices have earned their place in modern smart homes, but understanding these key differences ensures you'll choose the one that best fits your family's lifestyle and needs.