Amazon releases new home speaker with 7-inch screen as Apple tipped to enter the market(for more go to http://howpeopledo.com)

DID Amazon just beat Apple to the punch?

The e-commerce giant is the dominant player in the relatively new market of artificially intelligent home speakers, accounting for about 70 per cent of sales.

After releasing the Amazon Echo speaker in the US in June 2015, the company has now followed it up with a completely new version which features a large touch screen display.

The 7-inch screen on the new Echo Show enables the speaker to supplement voice responses with visuals and other information displays.

That could mean extended weather forecasts, not just current conditions, or music lyrics to go with the song you’re listening to. You can also call up cooking tutorials on YouTube, hands-free, while making dinner in the kitchen.

You’ll also be able to make video calls with other Echo Show devices or the Alexa app for iPhones and Android phones. Two previous models, the original Echo and the smaller Echo Dot, will get audio calling only, as they lack screens and cameras.

Amazon also says it’s also bringing calling and messaging features to its existing Echo and Echo Dot devices and the Alexa app for phones.Source:AP

Currently, the main competitor for Amazon in the smart home speaker market is Google which has followed up its release of its Google Home speaker with a push into smart home technology.

It’s expected that Apple is on the cusp of making a dramatic entrance into the market by launching its own home speaker feature voice assistant Siri, as early as next month.

While there will no doubt be a lot of excitement over such an announcement, Amazon may have just taken some wind out of Apple’s sails with the release of its new-look device.

That’s because according to Apple executive Phil Schiller in an interview last week, any Apple home speaker device would likely come with a screen.

“There is a lot of talk in the industry about voice-driven assistants and we believe deeply in voice-driven assistants that’s why invest in Siri,” he said.

But the senior vice president of worldwide marketing at Apple said in terms of user experience, he didn’t think such products functioned optimally without a screen.

“There’s many moments where a voice assistant is really beneficial, but that doesn’t mean you’d never want a screen. So the idea of not having a screen, I don’t think suits many situations,” he said.

But what could’ve been a valuable point of difference for Apple has now disappeared.

According to reports this week, Apple employees are already testing out the Siri speakers in their homes.

The new Echo Show goes on sale in the US on June 28 for $US230 ($A312) making it the priciest Echo yet.