Amazon Plans To Release At Least 8 New Alexa-Powered Devices, Including a microwave, an in-car device, and several new audio products, CNBC reports. Details are not full though, but some of those devices may be launched at an event later this month, according to an internal document describing the plans.
The new devices reflect Amazon's plan to make its Alexa voice technology present on areas where people spend most of their time at home and in the car.
"The devices include, among others, a microwave oven, an amplifier, a receiver, a subwoofer, and an in-car gadget, people familiar with the matter said," reports CNBC. "All of the devices will be Alexa-enabled, meaning they can easily connect to the voice assistant. Some of the devices will also have Alexa built in." From the report.
Alexa was initially considered a geeky experiment at Amazon. Now it is now one of the most popular voice assistants, leading the growth of the burgeoning smart speaker market, which is expected to be worth $30 billion by 2024, according to Global Market Insights.
In January, Amazon announced developer tools that would let appliance makers add Alexa controls to their smart ovens and microwaves, and some companies, including GE, have since added that support to their products. Several gadget makers, including Garmin and Anker, have also launched Alexa devices for the car. CNBC’s report suggests that Amazon now wants to release similar products on its own, along with an audio amplifier, receiver, and subwoofer.
These types of products would also put Amazon in more direct competition with companies like Sonos that increasingly rely on Alexa to power voice control features and other artificial intelligence tasks. Sonos recently updated both its soundbar and home amplifier products with Alexa support, but a more professional-grade Amazon speaker and amp could move into those products’ succession. Entering the appliance market would also make Amazon a large and formidable new competitor to brands like GE, KitchenAid, LG, and Samsung.
Amazon’s expansion is to make more hardware categories that will significantly heat up the smart home market, which is already flooded with Alexa-powered devices that either incorporate Amazon’s voice assistant exclusively or offer it as one of four prominent options alongside Apple’s Siri, Google Assistant, and Microsoft’s Cortana. CNBC reports that some of the upcoming devices will have Alexa built in, while others will connect to other Alexa-enabled devices for voice control access.