Amazon Said to be Working on AirPods-Like Alexa Wireless Earbuds
The rumoured Echo device could be Amazon’s first-ever wireless hearable product for consumers.
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Amazon Echo EarPods are reportedly said to be on the cards and the device, likely to be Alexa-enabled, will be launching later this year, according to a Bloomberg report on Friday. This will also be Amazon’s first Echo-branded ‘hearable’ in the market.
In terms of design, the supposed wireless earbuds from Amazon will look a lot like Apple’s AirPods, that have been a global success, and industry reports suggest it is the most-selling in its category. Being similar to the AirPods, the Amazon’s wireless earbuds will come with a case that can be used to charge the device wirelessly.
Amazon is no stranger to speakers, after all it has the Echo range of smart speakers selling across the world, and catering to varied needs of the users.
The upcoming earbuds will come integrated with Alexa, its voice assistant, which can be activated by using the trigger word ‘Hey, Alexa’
The report also says that Amazon is still looking out for hardware manufacturers/partners, who can provide them with a product with good audio quality.
The use of voice assistant on these wireless earbuds offers convenience to the user, something that we’ve seen with the upgraded Apple AirPods few weeks back. Powered by Apple-designed H1 chip, developed specifically for headphones, the new AirPods now feature the convenience of "Hey Siri" – meaning users could invoke the assistant without touching the earbud.
This Echo product will compete against Apple AirPods, Samsung’s Icon X series and Google Pixel Buds in some parts of the world.
You’ve also got brands like Xiaomi and Huawei entering this segment, with their set of wireless audio gear that are comparatively cheaper than Apple’s device. While OnePlus could launch its version of AirPods with the OnePlus 7 later this year.
The report doesn’t mention the possible price of the Amazon wireless earbud but going by the company’s history over the past few years, we’d expect to cost around $250 (Rs 17,750 approx).
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