What you need to know
- A report from Bloomberg details several new devices Amazon is reportedly working on, some of which may debut this year.
- Amazon wants to be in more places around the home, including a wall-mounted 15-inch Echo Show and an Echo Robot with a screen that follows you around.
- An Echo TV soundbar with a built-in camera could make video calls easier, and an improved Echo Auto might solve some of the original product's issues.
While Amazon has been a bit quiet as of late, a new report out of Bloomberg (via The Verge) suggests the lull is about to end. Contained within are leaks of several new Amazon devices, including an Echo wall-mounted display, Echo TV soundbar, upgraded Echo Auto, and even an Echo Robot that follows you around the house.
These products are powered by Amazon Alexa and designed to get the virtual assistant into more places than ever. Some, like the Echo Robot, may never see the light of day. A robot with a screen and no arms can do no harm, but the report calls its viability into question, citing employees who have been testing its effectiveness in their homes over the past several years since development began.
While a mobile Echo Show would be fascinating, it likely wouldn't serve much of a purpose outside of a few niche cases. On the other hand, Echo for Walls could actually improve upon the Echo Show concept by taking it off your counter and mounting that display to the wall. It's not quite a TV, but it's darn close.
This 15-inch display is reportedly being designed especially to aid users in the kitchen, although it can be useful throughout the house thanks to its ability to display calendars, photos, weather, and timers, as well as deliver smart home control for all the best smart home products you have around your home. It even streams Netflix and Prime Video. If the wall mount doesn't work, it also might come with a tablet-friendly stand.
If you prefer to watch streaming services on your TV but still want some Alexa in the living room, the new Alexa-powered soundbar might be right up your alley. Aside from the expected voice-capable nature of any Alexa-powered device, this one also looks to pack a camera up top for easy video calls in your home. Heaven knows it's obscenely difficult to use your TV for such a function right now, which could serve a real purpose in many homes.
Lastly is an upgraded Echo Auto. While Bloomberg's report doesn't mention a significant form factor upgrade — as the original is little more than a way to get Alexa into your car — but the new design might also wirelessly charge your phone and look a bit sleeker.
Alexa with a display
Don't just hear Alexa, see its response with the Echo Show 8, and 8-inch touch screen display capable of so many things.
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