Amazon Looking To Improve Echo

A high–end smart speaker is in the works with a 7-inch touchscreen, according to a Bloomberg report. Amazon wants to expand the Echo speaker line-up with a high end models that comes with a 7-inch touchscreen. Amazon may debut this new product as soon as the first quarter of 2017.

The Echo and its voice assistant Alexa, which is a voice-controlled speaker, has been a huge success for Amazon. It is estimated that Amazon has sold more than 5 million Echo speakers since the product came out in 2014. 2 million of those speakers were sold in 2016. Not only can the Echo play music and tell you the weather, but it can also control other Smart home products, such as lights or temperature control. Having a touchscreen gives people a way to take a glance at information they want to know from the Echo, when listening to detailed descriptions is not as easy as reading them. It will also be able to control other smart home products with the touch of a button.

This new Echo would have a larger high-end speaker and the screen would tilt upwards so that it would be easily visible when sitting on a flat surface, such as a counter top. Google is also coming out with its own smart speaker called Google Home. However, Amazon is definitely putting the pressure on the competition by creating this more advanced touch screen product.