BackAmazon unveils new $50 Echo Dot with better quality speaker
The new Echo Dot speaker has 70% better sound, Amazon's senior vice president of Alexa devices, David Limp, said
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Seattle: Amazon.com Inc. unveiled a new $50 Echo Dot with an improved speaker, one of the first devices unveiled in a product show designed to keep pushing smarthome gadgets during the busy holiday shopping season.
The new speaker has 70% better sound, Amazon’s senior vice president of Alexa devices, David Limp, said at a media event Thursday. The Echo Dot is one of Amazon’s best-selling devices, he said. The product is available for order today and will begin shipping next month.
Amazon also introduced a subwoofer to go along with existing Echo products as well as a pair of amplifiers that work like audio control centers for the home.
The Seattle internet giant keeps introducing devices and features to make its Alexa voice-activated platform more prominent in customers’ lives. Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos sees voice as the next interface connecting people and machines, like a mouse on personal computers and touchscreens on smartphones.
Global spending on smarthome devices such as speakers, thermostats and lights will hit $96 billion this year thanks to new gadgets from companies like Amazon, Alphabet Inc.’s Google, ADT Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co., and falling prices, according to Strategy Analytics. About 40% of the spending will be in North America, Amazon’s primary market.
Amazon introduced the Echo voice-activated speaker in 2014 and has maintained a lead over tech competitors Google and Apple Inc. Amazon and Google flooded the market with low-cost devices like the Echo Dot and Google Home Mini, letting shoppers try voice tech at home for as little as $25. About two-thirds of smart speaker users in the US will use an Amazon Echo this year, compared to less than 30% who will use a Google Home, according to EMarketer Inc.
Digital assistants are not used much for shopping, but they have gone mainstream. More than 70% of US consumers use voice-activated technology on a daily basis. Getting GPS directions and weather forecasts are among the most popular requests, according to a survey released Wednesday by AppDynamics.
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