The September event of Amazon: here is what to expect

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Amazon wants to maintain a dominant presence in the growing virtual support space. Wednesday, at a press conference at its Seattle headquarters, the company is expected to announce new products and services that will help maintain its position as market leader. These are likely to include a wide range of products infused by Alexa for different places of the house and at different prices, as well as updates of Alexa functions.

In the past five years, the market for smart speakers using virtual assistants – Alexa's Amazon and its Echo smart speakers in particular – has exploded. According to Canalys market research data, companies like Amazon, Google and Baidu delivered 26.1 million smart speakers in the second quarter of this year. Amazon is at the top of this market: according to Canalys, Amazon shipped a quarter of these speakers, about 6.6 million between April and June. (China, Baidu, is far from second place with about 17% of the market, with 4.5 million speakers).

Amazon strives to maintain its momentum: last September, Amazon introduced Alexa-controlled products, ranging from the expected model (more Echo smart speakers) to the surprising one (a $ 60 AmazonBasics microwave to heat up foods via voice commands, such as "Alexa, warm up a cup of coffee" – when used with an Echo device).

This year, analysts are planning products that will go to your home and maybe even your body.

"I think that basically Amazon wants to be in every room of the house," said CNN Business Carolina Milanesi, consumer technology analyst at Creative Strategies.

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Milanesi is attentive to Alexa products that focus more on smart home automation to attract new customers and give existing customers reason to upgrade. This can take the form of low-cost Alexa speakers for some parts of the house where you do not spend your time, but still want to be able to access a virtual assistant, such as the garage or stairs.

Amazon could also unveil its own high-end Echo loudspeaker – at a matching price – to compete with some of the companies already offering premium Alexa-compatible speakers, such as Sonos.

"They obviously have partners playing in this space, so it will be interesting to see what they do in terms of value for money," said Milanesi.

Alexa for your ears?

Amazon can also show new ways to use the virtual assistant outside the home. Amazon introduced an Echo Auto product at its event last September, but the gadget, currently priced at $ 25, is available by invitation only.
Alexa could also broaden her horizons through a pair of wireless headphones enabled by Alexa, which Amazon would plan to market, with perhaps a follow-up of the activity and a price less than 100 USD. This would be a first for Amazon, but brands such as Jabra and Bose already sell wireless headphones and headphones, respectively, that can call on assistants, including Alexa.

A spokeswoman for Amazon said the company did not comment on rumors or speculation.

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The auricles using Alexa would mark the transition to a notoriously delicate market. Many companies have tried to popularize the in-ear wearing technologies that can track activity or access a virtual assistant, with limited success (the Apple AirPods, which can do the latter). , are remarkable).

But Milanesi thinks it would only be a profitable investment for Amazon if it really helped you use Alexa in the real world.

"It seems like a big business unless it's something like Alexa that helps you in the workout with the voice or something," she says.

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