Amazon will launch a new Echo smart speaker upgraded by next year

• Amazon is currently working on a new version of Echo that could be launched next year, according to Bloomberg.
• The device could be wider than the current model and contain at least four tweeters, says the report, citing sources close to the prototype of the new Echo.
• Amazon also reportedly stepped up its work on its Alexa compatible home robot.
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According to a new report from Bloomberg, Amazon is preparing to launch an upgraded version of its Echo smart speaker by next year.

Details about the new speaker are scarce, but the report says that a prototype of the device indicates that it will be wider than the current version and will include at least four tweeters. A tweeter is a small speaker designed to disperse high frequencies in a room, according to Lifewire.

It is unclear exactly when Amazon will launch the new speaker, but it has revealed a slew of new Echo devices in September, including new versions of Echo Dot, Echo Show and Echo Plus. Since the report says that Amazon could launch the speaker soon next year, it is possible that the new device will debut in the fall of this year. Bloomberg also notes that it is possible that Amazon is not moving forward with the launch of the new speaker.

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Amazon declined to comment when it was joined by Business Insider.

Amazon would also be experimenting with new form factors for its Alexa assistant beyond Echo and the other devices currently available. The company is continuing its work on a domestic robot compatible with Alexa called "Vesta" in-house, also said Bloomberg. The report describes the robot as a waist-sized device that can navigate its environment with the help of computer vision cameras. The company could also develop Alexa-compatible headsets, similar to Apple's AirPods, as a previous Bloomberg report also said.

Amazon's Echo line became the most popular smart speaker in the United States after the device was launched unexpectedly in 2014. Amazon accounted for 61.6% of the smart speaker market in January, according to a report by Voicebot. ai and Voicify. Google, meanwhile, accounted for 23.9%. The company said it had sold more than 100 million Alexa devices when it spoke to The Verge earlier this year, but it is unclear whether these devices all refer to Echo devices.