The race to command share of mind and voice everywhere continues to accelerate, with Google, Apple, Microsoft and others all competing against each another. But as in other fields ranging from reinventing retail to creating award-winning original programming, Amazon is demonstrating that it doesn’t intend to play second fiddle to anyone.

Already rising 29% on the just-released Best Global Brands, Amazon is attempting to surge ahead in the race to be the voice-connected hub for the smart home after unveiling a suite of new hardware products that build on the capabilities of its Alexa artificial intelligence, voice recognition persona, while a powerful automotive partner aims to make Alexa a chatty (but helpful) passenger.

Revealed in time for the holidays, the Alexa-powered Echo hardware for the home is now the world’s smartest alarm clock, because it’s also a TV remote, a speakerphone, a smartphone hub, a kitchen intercom and an interactive buzzer for game night.

The all-new Echo brings “all the features you love about Alexa, now with a new design, improved sound with Dolby processing, and a lower price—just $99.99.”

The new Echo Plus, meanwhile, “has a built-in smart home hub to easily connect your smart devices—set up and start controlling lights, locks, and more in minutes—just $149.99, with a Philips Hue smart lightbulb included.”

And there’s the new $130 Echo Spot (which comes in black or white) at top, described by Amazon Alexa SVP Tom Taylor as: “Echo Spot combines the popular small design of Echo Dot, the display of Echo Show and the features you love about Alexa into an all-new, stylish and compact device. See the weather, watch video news briefings, glance at your alarm clock, check on your kids, and more—we think customers will find lots of places for Echo Spot in their homes.”

Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.brandchannel.com