Amazon is running a major promotion on its latest Alexa device. The company's newest smart speaker, the Echo Show 15, features a large 15-inch display and is intended to serve as a central hub of activity for the whole family. It is designed to show at a glance what everyone is doing, with widgets for calendars, notes, shopping lists, etc.

Unlike Amazon's other smart displays, the Echo Show 15 looks like a picture frame and is designed to be hung on the wall. It also features a new processor that can provide personalized information by teaching sounds and recognizing faces.

Here is what we know about the Echo Show 15, including pricing and release date.

The Echo Show 15 is priced at $249 and is available for pre-order now; it will ship on December 9.

If you're looking for a Black Friday deal, the Echo Show 15 is bundled with the Ring Video Doorbell (wired) for $289, a $20 savings.

In many ways, the Echo Show 15 is closer to one of the best digital photo frames than a smart speaker; its large 15.6-inch, 1080p touchscreen display is framed in a white matte and surrounded by a black frame. the Echo Show 15 is intended to be hung on a wall (either vertically or horizontally) or propped up on a table. By comparison, it looks much like a larger version of the Facebook Portal.

The Echo Show 15 is designed as a kind of digital bulletin board, allowing users to glance at the screen to check upcoming calendar appointments, check the weather, or leave notes for family members.

Owners can customize the display with a variety of widgets, including calendars, notes, recipes, shopping lists, and more. Currently, all widgets are developed by Amazon, but the company is opening them up to third-party developers as well.

The display does not support handwriting, but an on-screen keyboard pops up if you want to type a note. Of course, if you want to leave a message, you can talk to Alexa or use the Alexa app on your phone.

When the screen is not in active use, a photo from the Amazon Photo Gallery or a preloaded image will be displayed by default.

In the upper left corner of the Echo Show 15 is a small 5MP camera for making video calls through Alexa. Unlike the Echo Show 10, however, the Echo Show 15's camera does not support motion tracking, so it cannot digitally pan and zoom to follow you around the room.

The Echo Show 15 is powered by Amazon's latest AZ2 processor, which can perform more functions on the device. One of these is Visual ID, which allows the camera to recognize individual faces and customize the display according to their preferences.

According to Amazon, Visual ID is opt-in only and can be removed at any time if you find it too creepy. All your data will remain on the device as well.

Like Amazon's other smart displays, the Echo Show 15 can play videos from Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming services supported by the company's devices. Sling TV and TikTok will be added in the near future.

The Echo Show 15 will have two 1.6-inch side-facing speakers, which should provide adequate sound, but don't expect anything on par with the Echo Studio or Echo Show 10.

Like Amazon's other smart displays (and Fire TV devices), you can stream live feeds to the Echo Show 15's screen from some of the best home security cameras and best video doorbells. Unlike other displays, however, the feed can be displayed as a picture-in-picture window.

The Echo Show 15 also works with Alexa Guard, so you can hear glass breaking and smoke detectors. In the coming months, users will be able to teach the Echo Show 15 and other Echo devices specific sounds to enable new Alexa routines. For example, it can be taught to recognize the sound of a doorbell or glass door opening, and program other smart home devices to turn on or off.

Some of the widgets available on the Echo Show 15 will be specific to frequently used smart home devices, which should make it easier to control them without having to tap the screen repeatedly.

In a way, the larger screen size makes sense because Amazon cannot make a smart display smaller than the Echo Show 5. At the same time, the company envisions the Echo Show 15 with different use cases than other Echo devices.

I like the idea of having a central hub where I can see my calendar appointments, send notes to family members, and add things to my shopping list. However, with limited input methods, i.e., just talking to Alexa, wouldn't it be a hassle to add items to notes, etc.? A small stylus, or at least the ability to write something down with your finger, might make it more seamless.

We'll let you know what the Echo Show 15 is like after we try it out. Stay tuned.