Amazon's first high-end Echo could take on the HomePod and Google Home Max soon
No, the Echo Plus is not technically a "premium" smart speaker
According to Bloomberg's typically reliable inside sources, such a high-end Echo variant is finally in the works, eyeing a commercial debut "by next year." The unnamed Alexa-powered smart speaker is expected to challenge the Siri-controlled HomePod and Google Assistant-enabled Home Max with top-notch audio performance made possible by a refined design sporting "at least four tweeters."
In order to pull that off, Amazon will probably have to widen the cylindrical speaker and presumably add some heft to accommodate a bunch of new, higher-quality components. Naturally, that means this bad boy should be significantly costlier than all existing Echo models, although there's no word on an exact number yet. For perspective, the Google Home Max and Apple HomePod are priced at $299 after launching with $399 and $349 tags attached to their names.
While it's impossible to know just how successful these particular versions have proven, Amazon is certainly facing a stiff challenge from Google's smart speaker family in a market the e-commerce giant created and continues to dominate.
It's worth pointing out that this "high-end Echo" could still be canceled or indefinitely shelved, and the same goes for a "home robot" known internally as Vesta and currently planned to accept voice commands for performing various tasks around the house. Amazon also has "minor updates" for other Echo models scheduled for a fall release and AirPods-rivaling wireless earbuds with Alexa support that could see daylight "as early as this year."
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