A report has revealed that Amazon might be working on a new smart speaker to follow their Echo speakers but with a 7-inch touchscreen and high-end audio.

Yesterday Bloomberg reported that Amazon are developing a new Echo-like smart speaker but with some nifty new additions. According to “two people familiar with the matter” the new speaker will come with a 7-inch touchscreen for even more functionality and control over the speaker.

Amazon’s surprisingly successful Echo speakers have been lauded for their excellent voice-controlled AI Alexa, making it easy to search the web, play music, set appointments and much more. It’s unlikely the touch-screen will replace Alexa after “she” has been so well received so it will be interesting to see what functions it serves.

A screen would make it easier to check weather forecasts, your calendar and other assistant functions. A screen could also be used to show album art when streaming music and make it easier to explore streaming services. Rumours also suggest that it could be used like a digital photo frame with a slideshow of photos playing whilst in idle or when streaming music.

The new speaker will reportedly be bigger, as one would assume with the addition of a 7-inch screen, and will be able to tilt upwards to view the screen. According to those “familiar” with the speaker it will also feature high-grade speakers for vastly improved sound quality on the Echo, which some said had underwhelming audio output.

Whether the reports from Bloomberg’s sources are accurate will have to be seen but it doesn’t seem unrealistic and Amazon are definitely making the best of capitalising on Echo’s success. Earlier this year Amazon debuted two new home speakers based on the Echo, the cheaper alternatives Tap and Dot.

Stay tuned for any more information on Amazon’s next speaker venture.