Amazon adds spherical speakers, car security products to devices lineup

Amazon.com Inc on Thursday announced the latest additions to its devices lineup, including voice-controlled Echo speakers with a new spherical design and Ring security video and alarm products for cars.

The company said Tesla Inc vehicles will be the first that are compatible with its Ring Car Connect software, which can tell customers if their vehicle is unlocked and can play back video.

Amazon also announced upgrades such as a deletion feature for all prior voice recordings, more natural tone for its voice assistant Alexa and an improved ability to discern whether speech is directed at Alexa or at others in a household.

The world's largest online retailer has worked for years to popularize speakers, televisions and other devices that customers activate through speech. A goal has been to draw shoppers to more services from the company, whether Amazon Music played on its suite of Echo speakers or products ordered by voice from Amazon.com.

The company has adopted a strategy of marketing different devices for different functions, including voice-controlled ear buds and eyewear. Amazon announced a fitness band last month that tracks health and offers to analyze the tone and emotion in users' speech.

Rivals including Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google are competing to be the top platform for voice gadgets. Apple's assistant Siri has had the advantage of being installed on consumers' iPhones, but in the US market for smart speakers, Amazon's devices with assistant Alexa have had a clear lead, according to research from firm eMarketer.

Amazon's stock is up more than 60% this year, while the benchmark S&P 500 is roughly flat. Sales have jumped for the Seattle-based company as more consumers turned to online shopping during the coronavirus pandemic. In July, Amazon announced the biggest quarterly profit in its 26-year history.