, Columnist
Amazon Won by Losing the Smartphone War
The company is defining a new mode of computing that plays to its strengths.
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In case it wasn't obvious before Wednesday, Amazon.com Inc. has leapfrogged the smartphone to go after the next era of computing. The company never could have done this if it hadn't been steamrolled in smartphones first.
The way-more-than-a-retailer unveiled several new or revamped versions of its Echo voice-activated home speakers, including one that serves as a digital alarm clock, and it cut the price of its flagship gadget to $100 from $180. All these devices are Trojan horses rolling Alexa, the voice-commanded brain of the Echo devices, into your home.