Amazon Plans Wall-Mounted Echo as Smart Home Command Center
- Lab126 unit developing new device with touchscreen and Alexa
- Product to be thinner than Echo Show, come with video chat
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Amazon.com Inc. is developing a new Echo device with a large touchscreen that attaches to the wall and serves as a smart home control panel, video chat device and media player, according to people familiar with the plans.
The company’s Lab126 hardware division is designing the device to be a digital command center, showing users upcoming calendar events, controlling accessories like lights and locks, and playing music and video. It would include Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant and microphones and a camera for video conferencing, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private matters.