HI FRIENDS,

Amazon Developing New Wall-Mounted Echo Device as Smart Home Command Centre

Amazon’s new Echo device with a large touchscreen that attaches to the wall and serves as a smart home control panel, video chat device, and media player, according to people familiar with the plans.

The company’s Lab126 hardware division is designing the device to be a digital command centre, showing users upcoming calendar events, controlling accessories like lights and locks, and playing music and video.

Amazon’s new Echo device would include Alexa voice assistant and microphones and a camera for video conferencing.

The product would compete with professionally installed smart home control screens from the likes of Control4 as well as Apple iPads framed into walls and even Amazon’s own Echo Show used with a third-party wall mount.

Specifications (EXPECTED)

Amazon is considering multiple variations, with screens of either 10 or 13 inches in size.

A 10-inch display would be on par with the current Echo Show, while a 13-inch model would be Amazon’s largest device with a display.

The company plans to launch it either at the end of this year or the end of 2022.

Price (EXPECTED)

Prices ranging from $200 (roughly Rs. 14,600) to $250 (roughly Rs. 18,200) have been discuss internally, though the plans are still early and could change or be scrap altogether.

As the new device is design to mount to a wall, it will be far slimmer than the existing Echo Show.

SOURCE : Bloomberg.