New 5-inch touchscreen doubles as an affordable smart home hub with wide feature set

Elecrow has introduced a new touchscreen display that remains relatively affordable at $30. It is not a ready-to-use alternative to an Echo Show (on Amazon), but rather a model that must be programmed first. Thanks to LVGL support, creating interfaces should be fairly straightforward. The device can be used as a smart home control panel, for personal projects, or as a replacement part.

It features an IPS display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels and capacitive touch support. This makes it possible not only to show current temperatures or the status of smart home devices, but also to control them once the system has been properly integrated. Maximum brightness is rated at 450 cd/m², so visibility in direct sunlight is likely to be limited. According to Waveshare, the 5-inch ESP32-S3 IPS display is designed to operate in temperatures ranging from -30°C to 80°C.

Wireless connectivity is provided via 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.0 is also supported. Power is supplied through USB Type-C. The device is based on an ESP32-S3 SoC and supports UART and SPI. The SPI interface can also be used to connect sensors and other peripherals, while speaker connections are available as well. The system measures 137 x 84 x 13.75 millimeters, and no dedicated enclosure is included. A larger alternative is also available for purchase on Amazon.