New Delhi, March 11 -- Amazon's new Echo Show 8 arrived earlier this year looking like a familiar promise wrapped in a slightly sleeker frame. A better display, improved audio, a new chip, and a custom sensor suite for new ambient experiences-all welcome upgrades.

However, its headline feature, Alexa+, the "generative‑AI" reboot of Amazon's assistant, is missing in action for Indian users. The hardware supports it; the location does not. This, essentially, sums up the state of smart speakers in 2026.

Amazon Echo devices are aspirational, giftable (they pull in significant numbers from corporate gifting as well, an analyst tells me), and-for families with kids-a surprisingly sticky part of the living room. But the category itself i...