Amazon would have planned this year Alexa microwave, subwoofer and more

According to a report released today by CNBC, Amazon plans to introduce up to eight new smart devices in the home. These devices will offer a wide variety of voice-activated gadgets: a microwave oven, an onboard gadget and a set of high-end audio equipment, including an amplifier, a receiver and a subwoofer. CNBC Amazon plans to detail at least some of these devices at an event that will take place later this month.

Amazon's expansion into even more categories of hardware will dramatically improve the smart home market, already flooded with devices using Alex, which integrate exclusively with Amazon's voice wizard or one of the four main options of Siri, Google Assistant and Microsoft. Cortana. CNBC reports that some of the upcoming devices will have Alexa integrated, while others will connect to other Alexa compatible devices for voice control access.

Nowhere does the report indicate that these new devices will carry the Echo brand, which traditionally focuses on home audio with some light entertainment and communication features. This suggests that Amazon could introduce a new range of distinct smart devices from its Echo range and focus more on the Alexa brand.

These types of products would also place Amazon in more direct competition with companies like Sonos, which rely more and more on Alexa to power voice control and other artificial intelligence tasks. Sonos has recently updated its soundbar and home amplifier products with Alexa support, but a professional-grade Amazon speaker and amplifier could reduce the success of these products. Entering the device market would also make Amazon a great and formidable competitor to brands such as GE, KitchenAid, LG and Samsung.