Amazon Echo vs Apple Homepod: Next AI Speaker From Amazon Designed to Challenge the HomePod
Sources reveal that Amazon is currently designing the next Echo product, and it is meant to directly challenge the recently-announced HomePod speaker from Apple.
Engadget reported that a source familiar with the matter approached them and revealed that the upcoming product will showcase a revamp in the design and will primarily be "shorter and slimmer than the original."
According to the unidentified source, the next Echo speaker is most likely going to measure like three Echo Dot units stacked together — which would be about 4 inches high since the latest Echo Dot version is 1.3 inches in height.
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Amazon is also reportedly planning to ditch the flat bottom design and adapt more round-edged corners, much like what people can see from the Apple HomePod. Also, instead of the familiar plastic covering, the next smart speaker from Amazon will be clad in a "cloth-like" material.
When Apple announced the HomePod, it was obviously designed mainly for music-listening purposes. With that in mind, the Cupertino, California, technology firm packed their home speaker with an array of seven tweeters — a great advantage over the Amazon Echo that has only one large tweeter.
However, the report did not specify whether the next Amazon Echo product would match or exceed the hardware specifications of the HomePod as it only mentioned adding "several tweeters" to the rumored home speaker.
Amazon is also rumored to improve the far-field microphone features of the next Amazon Echo. It is important to note that, right now, the Echo speaker is already packed with seven of these components, which is already superior to the Google Home and HomePod which only has two and six, respectively.
Learning about all these improvements boils down to one question: How much will it cost? Right now, the Echo ($180) is very much holding the advantage versus the HomePod ($349), especially if people will consider the price tag for its functionality. With all the major design and specs overhaul, it is still hard to guess if Amazon can manage to maintain the same introductory price point of their first-ever home speaker once they release the next Echo model.
Amazon has yet to comment on the rumored product. Meanwhile, the Apple HomePod will hit the market in December.
