Amazon Develops Wall-mounted Echo "Command Center" for Your Entire Smart Home

Amazon Develops Wall-mounted Echo "Command Center" for Your Entire Smart Home

Amazon's Alexa-powered smart speakers come in all shapes and sizes, from the tiny Echo Dot to the full-sized Echo Show display. But there may be another Alexa product in development that could surpass them all.

According to Bloomberg, Amazon is developing a wall-mounted Echo touchscreen device. This is not just a speaker and smart display combo. Rather, this wall-mounted addition to the Echo lineup will serve as a command center and hub for smart home technology.

Reportedly, Amazon's Lab126 division is said to be working on preparing this wall-mounted size device. It will function like other Echo panels, controlling smart lights, keys, and automating other smart home processes. It will also play music and video, connect to Amazon's Alexa assistant, and have a camera for video conferencing.

Amazon is considering several different variants, including 10-inch and 13-inch displays; the 13-inch display would be the largest display in Amazon's Echo line when it actually launches.

It is worth noting that this Echo device is unlikely to be the first of its kind. There are a variety of options from other manufacturers that work similarly to what Amazon is proposing. Companies like Atmos offer a similar "command center" option with a wall-mounted touchscreen panel, as do Legrand Vantage, Crestron, and many other well-known manufacturers.

Amazon has previously expressed interest in creating a dedicated wall-mounted device. Now you can get the Echo Wall Clock for under $30, offering hands-free Alexa functionality with the simplicity of an analog clock. It's not as sophisticated as the wall-mounted Command Center, but it's still thinking along the same lines.

Bloomberg reports that the unnamed Echo wall panel could be priced between $200 and $250; it could appear in late 2021 or late 2022, but Amazon has declined to comment on these rumors. We will have to wait and see what happens in the coming months.

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