Amazon is hosting a hardware launch event this morning at its Seattle headquarters, and has invited the press into the Spheres, Amazon’s urban botanical gardens, to show off the new products.
It’s widely expected that Amazon[1] will announce several new Alexa-equipped[2] hardware products or device partnerships, adding to an already expansive line of Echos and other smart devices. The company hosted a similar event last fall, which reaffirmed Amazon’s commitment to putting Alexa in as many places as possible. At that event, Amazon introduced a new 4K Fire TV[3]; a smaller, $99 Echo speaker[4]; a $149 Echo Plus speaker; an Echo that looks like an alarm clock, called the Echo Spot[5]; Echo Buttons, for casual games; and a partnership with BMW to make Alexa work in cars. It also rolled the ability to initiate phone calls with Alexa, using a $35 device called the Echo Connect.
On Monday, CNBC reported[6] that Amazon planned to launch at least eight new products this year, including a voice-controlled microwave, amplifier, subwoofer, and in-car gadget. Some of those will be unveiled at the event today, CNBC said. It’s unclear whether home appliances like the microwave would be wholly Amazon made, or whether that would be through a hardware partnership. A spokesperson for the company declined to comment on or confirm the reported new products, other than to say, "we'll have news related to Alexa and Fire TV."
Eight new products may seem like a lot, but it’s consistent with Amazon’s overall strategy. The company often introduces low-cost, utilitarian devices designed not just to get people hooked on Alexa, but to get people to use Amazon’s services. Back in 2012, Amazon CEO...