Amazon is reportedly working on a successor to its Echo connected smart speaker for release later this year in a clear attempt to one-up Apple and its HomePod speaker, which is due to launch this December.
Sources who saw a working unit spoke to Engadget, claiming that the new Echo will improve on the first speaker `in every way`, being shorter and slimmer than the original, with rounded edges and a cloth-like covering preferred over the current Echo`s plastic shell and flat ends.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given Apple`s focus on the HomePod music experience, Amazon is aiming to significantly improve the sound quality of the next Echo, according to sources. The company`s new flagship smart speaker will feature multiple tweeters as opposed to just one large one (Apple`s HomePod packs in seven tweeters).
Amazon is also reportedly enhancing the new Echo`s far-field microphone technology, but it`s not clear how. The current Echo has a seven-mic array, while the HomePod has six and Google Home has two, although the software running the mics significantly dictates their listening quality.
Pricing remains unknown, but Amazon`s new Echo is likely to significantly undercut Apple`s HomePod, which will retail at $349 and go up against the likes of Sonos in the premium speaker market. The existing Echo costs $180 as a reference.
First impressions of Apple`s HomePod were largely positive following its unveiling in June, with journalists agreeing that the 7-inch tall device easily beats the Sonos Play:3 and 9-inch-tall Amazon Echo in terms of pure music playback quality. The HomePod initializes by playing 360-degree audio and listening back so that it can dynamically adjust sound output to fit environmental acoustics. Apple claimed it honed the technology over many years, so Amazon`s next smart speaker has plenty to live up to.Related Roundup: HomePod Tag: Amazon Echo Discuss this article in our forums
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