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According to a report by CNBC, Amazon is working on wireless headphones with Alexa integrated and both will also integrate with a fitness monitor. The headphones are codenamed Puget, named Puget Sound, given by Amazon's head office in the Seattle area.
Alexa in the ear
At a price of $ 100, the headsets should cost less than their competitors, such as Bose SoundSport $ 200 or AirPods $ 160. Most important for Amazon, it would be a way to put Alexa in the foreground and more easily accessible to consumers on the move, even if they used an iPhone or Android phone that favors other assistants.
The headset fitness monitor would include an accelerometer and other sensors to measure distance and cadence, as well as calories burned during exercise. Amazon has already worked with other fitness technology companies, including adding Alexa to a FitBit smartwatch in August, but this will be Amazon's first in-house health monitor. Although there is still no release date or official confirmation, the earphones could make their first appearance at Amazon's annual hardware event tomorrow.
Alexa everywhere
There have been several allusions to the fact that Amazon was working on Alexa's integration into more wearable devices, such as Syntiant's certification of computer chip manufacturing specifically designed for the use of computers. portable integration. S & # 39; s engaging hearable equipment market is an obvious strategy for Amazon and its voice assistant. The company does not want to lose in this fast-growing market. According to a recent report from IDC, the market for portable audio devices has grown 250% this year, doubling its share, reaching nearly half of the total market for portable equipment.
Unlike Apple and Google, Amazon does not have a built-in smartphone user base for its voice assistant. The market share of the market may be greater than that of smart speakers, but they are devices that consumers use primarily at home. Amazon needs Alexa everywhere, including when consumers are not in the office. Alexa in smart devices, his own and others, is also a crucial part of Amazon's overall strategy.
Puget headsets could also offer Amazon a way to proactively connect Alexa to consumers wherever they go. It is also easy to imagine how Amazon could use the headsets to increase revenue from its retail and e-commerce activities. If a person wearing headphones takes a voice note about something they might want to buy, they might suggest adding it to the user's Amazon cart or offering special sales when a user goes to the store. Whole Foods. Amazon will probably experiment with anything that could increase Alexa's use.
One of the many expected announcements
The new headphones are just one of the many devices on the scene at this week's Amazon event. According to rumors, a new high-end smart speaker, Echo, will compete with high-end devices built by rival voice assistant developers. There are also allusions to an Alexa robot, a kind of mobile smart speaker, developed by Amazon for some time. Whatever the final details of Wednesday's announcements, Amazon is certain to continue to push Alexa into people's lives, including in their ears.
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