Documents filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under the Verizon brand suggest some interesting hardware is on the horizon: an FCC listing, first spotted by Protocol, reveals that the company is working on an Echo Show-style smart screen that incorporates an improved version of Alexa.

The smart screen appears to be activated by saying "Hi Verizon" rather than using the usual "Alexa" wake word. This means Verizon is likely using Amazon's Alexa custom assistant program, which was first announced in January.

How far this device will diverge from smart screens like the Echo Show and Nest Hub remains to be seen, but key specs are listed. The device has an 8-inch 1280 x 800 display, and the front-facing camera can be blocked with a switch on top of the device for privacy protection. As such, the closest competitor is likely to be the Echo Show 8.

A photo of the bottom of the device shows the name "Verizon Smart Display" and a large Dolby Audio logo. Curiously, there is a USB port next to the power jack, and according to the manual, the device has 4GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, and supports Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and 4G connectivity.

The manual also mentions the BlueJeans video conferencing service that Verizon acquired last year. At the time, the company said BlueJeans would be "deeply integrated into Verizon's 5G product roadmap," with a particular focus on "high-growth areas such as telemedicine, distance learning, and field service operations."

SmartScreen only mentions 4G, not 5G, which is curious in itself. Smart Screens typically utilize Wi-Fi only; the inclusion of LTE connectivity indicates that Verizon sees this as a weakness in existing devices, perhaps avoiding the need to multitask via a laptop webcam and allowing for more It indicates that there is a market for portable, dedicated screens.

At the time of this writing, only two smart screens made the Best Smart Speakers list, the Google Nest Hub Max and the Echo Show 8, with dedicated speakers without displays dominating the list. It will be interesting to see if the Verizon Smart Screen brings something new to the table that will make built-in screens a mandatory feature in the future.