Amazon plans wall-mounted Echo as smart home command center: Report

Amazon.com is developing a new Echo device with a large touchscreen that attaches to the wall and serves as a smart home control panel, video chat device and media player, according to people familiar with the plans.

Its Lab126 hardware division is designing the device to be a digital command centre, showing users calendar events, controlling accessories like lights and locks, and playing music and video. It would include Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant and microphones and a camera for video conferencing.

The product would compete with professionally installed smart home control screens from the likes of Control4 Corp as well as Apple