UPDATE: The Amazon event is now underway with the firm announcing a swathe of updates and new products at its headquarters in Seattle.
The first new device to be announced during the keynote is a new Echo Dot which now gets an in-built clock added to its design.
This timestamp glows through the mesh that surrounds this smart speaker and there’s also the option to snooze the alarm for a few minutes with a simple tap on the top of the speaker.
Last year’s Dot is officially the firm’s best selling to date and this upgrade could help boost things even further.
The new Dot with a clock will be available from today with prices starting from $59 – UK pricing to be announced.
As well as the new Dot, Amazon has now revealed its all-new Echo speaker which gets a new look and improved sound.
In fact, this device now gets the same audio quality as the more expensive Echo Plus with a 3-inch woofer and increased back volume.
Along with a new look, there’s also some extra colours coming to your homes with Amazon releasing a Twilight Blue option.
The firm says the new Echo will be available soon at the same price as before so expect an £89.99 cost.
The new Dot and Echo are sure to be popular additions but that’s not all that’s coming from Amazon.
The firm has also announced something called the Echo Studio.
This is basically the best-sounding smart speaker the company has ever made with it featuring five built-in directional speakers.
Along with it coming packed with better sound, Amazon has also added the option fine-tune the playback to suit where the device is placed in your home.
If you fancy an Echo with a screen then there’s also good news with the launch of Echo Show 8.
This device gets an 8-inch screen and now includes the neat little camera cover that can be found on the Echo Show 5.
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Amazon Echo fans are in for a real treat today as the online retail company is set to announce a swathe of new products.
The online retailer is hosting a major launch event at its Seattle headquarters with many rumours pointing to an all-new Echo as the main attraction.
The smart speaker hasn’t been updated in almost two years, so it’s definitely ready for a full refresh and radical reboot.
To back up the rumours that a major change is coming, the Echo is also currently unavailable on Amazon’s own website which suggests the old device has been cleared from stock ready for something new.
Although nothing has yet been confirmed by Amazon, the new Echo could get a slick new look, better sound quality and maybe the option of making it more portable via a battery. That would certainly fit with the recent addition of a lossless streaming option on Amazon’s music service, which can’t be appreciated using the small speaker inside the current Echo.
Amazon’s big event will begin at around 6pm BST and Express.co.uk has made the trip to Seattle for a front-row seat. We’ll be updating this story throughout the proceedings, so check back for all the news.
Along with a new Echo, there’s also been reports that Amazon is planning to take on Apple with the release of some new AirPod-style headphones.
According to CNBC, these new Alexa-powered earbuds will offer similar functionality to Apple’s music makers with tunes beamed to ears wirelessly.
They’ll purportedly ship with a charging case designed to keep them topped-up with battery when they’re not in use and connect to your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth.
As well as playing music, it’s also thought that these new headphones might have the capability to track your daily fitness regime.
Using a built-in accelerometer, Amazon will supposedly monitor how much exercise you are getting with outdoor runs, walks and bike rides all being traced.
Fitness tracking would certainly help Amazon’s earbuds differentiate themselves from Apple’s true wireless offering – which currently have a 60 per cent share of the wireless earbud market – and other AirPod alternatives.
One final thing that might help boost their popularity is the price.
CNBC claims the Amazon wireless earbuds will cost less than $100, roughly £80, which makes them much more affordable than their closest rivals.
• Check back from 6pm for the all the latest Amazon news and gossip from this major launch event.