According to Bloomberg, Amazon is planning on releasing new versions of their popular Echo devices with higher quality speakers. The new Echos will be released some time next year.
The company plans to release the new Echo by next year, according to people familiar with the product. Prototypes of the cylindrical speaker are wider than the current Echo to squeeze in additional components including at least four tweeters, said the people, who requested anonymity to discuss an internal matter.
While Amazon still dominates the smart speaker market, it has begun to cede ground to Google's Home Max, Apple's HomePod and the Sonos One. This, in large part, is due to the relative high quality of their competitors' speakers. The improved Echo speakers are also seen as a natural pairing to Amazon's new high-fidelity music streaming service, which is expected to launch later this year.