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Amazon Wants a Bigger Slice of the Automotive Cake, New Device Launching Soon

Unlike Apple, Amazon isn’t planning to expand in the automotive space using a full car, with the company only trying to conquer this industry with software, services, and devices providing access to its existing offering.
Amazon Echo Auto 7 photos
Photo: Amazon
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One such effort is the Echo Auto, a device that brings digital assistant Alexa to any car by simply connecting to the speaker system in the vehicle. With Alexa, drivers can then perform all kinds of activities hands-free, including listening to the news or making phone calls, even if a smart head unit isn’t available.

Amazon is reportedly working around the clock on finalizing a second-generation Echo Auto, which was originally supposed to be released as part of the company’s hardware event this fall. Codenamed Marion, the new model is expected to come with a more polished design, while at the same time boasting additional functionality, such as wireless charging.

In other words, the new Echo Auto could end up charging your mobile phone wirelessly, so overall, Amazon wants its device to become a more advanced driving companion by offering additional capabilities to customers.

But this isn’t the only way Amazon is trying to grow bigger in the automotive industry. The same report claims the company is already discussing with more and more carmakers, as it hopes its own digital assistant would end up being pre-loaded in their vehicles.

Amazon wants to offer Alexa as the native assistant, therefore providing capabilities like making calls hands-free and even without the need for a standalone device or a dedicated button. Most recently, Amazon joined forces with Ford specifically for such a collaboration, but the company is aiming for the sky in this regard, and it hopes more auto manufacturers would end up embracing Alexa.

Needless to say, Amazon has remained completely tight-lipped on its automotive ambitions, and this is quite surprising as the company hasn’t shared anything in this regard at its September 28 event. This doesn’t mean Amazon is giving up on the automotive space, however, though it remains to be seen if and when the new Echo Auto could see the daylight.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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