"As 2016 draws to an end, speculations are flying all around about probable releases in 2017. Among them is an improved Amazon speaker. Talk in the town (actually Bloomberg) suggests that Amazon might launch a new Echo speaker in the first quarter of 2017. Amazon’s Echo is a line of voice-activated speakers which is a cylindrical device, used and controlled by its digital assistant Alexa. Updating this line might include introducing a 7-inch screen to make it easier for users to open and locate content to listen to.

The device will use an edited version of Amazon’s Fire OS to support its users. Fire OS is the operating system used in most of Amazon’s Fire tablets and set-top boxes. The screen will face upwards so that the user can access its features while standing up (the speaker will be lying on top of a table). Other features related to the screen will also be added, for instance, weather report, news, appointments, and calendar. In addition to this, the new Echo device will also have a higher quality and more dynamic speaker, enabling it to deliver a higher quality of sound. The screen type will be touchscreen. The speaker will also be larger than the normal Echo device.

The new Amazon echo may be ideal as a kitchen assistant to read out and show recipes and instructions. Also, users can pin photos and memos to the screen making it a kind of magnet board. However, the feature for voice commands and questions will still exist.

This is not the first time such news has come to light. A few months ago a report in The Wall Street Journal said that the online retailer company might be working on developing a device based on Alexa. This device could have been developed in the Amazon’s lab hardware unit and may have a display resembling a tablet. It was known among the corporation as ‘Knight’.

Even after the new Echo is released, Amazon will continue to sell and manufacture the Dot, Tap and Echo speakers. Each costs $50, $130, and $180 respectively. However, it is estimated that the improvised Echo speakers will cost more than any of these devices.

Even though it is a strong rumour that a better Amazon voice-activated speaker is underway, there is still a chance that it may not be true. "