Amazon is often regarded as one of the companies that democratized voice assistants and home automation, thanks to Alexa and its range of Echo devices. Today, the company's Echo Show smart displays let people control their home, video call loved ones, play content, and check their upcoming appointments a glance. These devices are designed to be placed on a flat surface, though, making them harder to use in some rooms. To solve this issue, Amazon is reportedly developing a new device that can be mounted on the wall.

According to Bloomberg, Amazon's Lab126 hardware division is currently working on a wall-mountable Alexa-enabled smart display, which would come with a microphone and a camera, enabling users to place video calls. The screen size isn't confirmed yet, as the company is said to be debating between 10 or 13". In any case, its form-factor would be much flatter than existing Echo devices, which are designed to be placed on a table or a counter.

Amazon is reportedly planning to launch the device at the end of 2021 or 2022, possibly aiming for the Christmas holidays. Its price could range from $200 to $250, if Amazon decides to move forward with the project.

At this stage, there isn't much that's known about this potential device, which remains a work in progress that could substantially change or even be canceled altogether. A flatscreen-like Echo would be convenient, though, enabling users to either use it with a stand or mount it on the wall, just like a regular computer screen.

Source: Bloomberg