Smart speakers, smart displays and smart buttons — Amazon’s ambitions for its Alexa voice assistant have been growing, but it’s only built a few narrow categories of Alexa products itself. Generally, the company relies on partners to provide an ecosystem of devices that Alexa can control. (We visited the Alexa lab this April.)
But CNBC reports Monday that Amazon is now planning to release its own Alexa-powered microwave oven, of all things — just one of eight or more unannounced devices the company will apparently sell by the end of the year.
That heaping helping of hardware will reportedly include an amplifier, receiver and subwoofer — apparently home audio is still a main theme — but also an ‘in-car gadget’ of some sort. CNBC doesn’t say which gadgets will have their own built-in Alexa voice assistant and which ones will merely be controlled by Alexa, but both types are apparently in the works.
They’ll reportedly be introduced at an event this month, potentially adding yet another big tech event to this fall’s busy calendar (Apple, Google, Microsoft, Samsung and more!). Not that we weren’t already expecting an Amazon hardware event this September, mind you — but nothing’s been confirmed.
There’s also a possible secret Amazon home robot to consider.
Amazon didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.