New leaked image shows Amazon's first ever touchscreen Echo and ... it's hideous
A new leaked photo may have just given us a sneak peek at Amazon's first ever touchscreen-enabled Echo, and if these images are to be believed, well ... the device is absolutely hideous.
A photo uncovered by AFTVnews shows a boxy device that's reportedly Amazon's first Echo with an integrated touchscreen.
The photo shows a rectangle speaker with a large touchscreen and what appears to be a camera at the top.
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In other words, it's just an ugly box.
AFTVnews says it found the low resolution image on Amazon's own servers. The long-rumored device, which has been reportedly given the codename "Knight," could be unveiled as early as next month, according to the outlet.
This all may sound kind of shady, but AFTVnews has successfully uncovered photos of upcoming Echos in the past — including an image of what we now know is the Echo Look back in March.
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Not to be outdone, reliable leaker Evan Blass tweeted two high resolution images of the touchscreen Echo. One looks identical to the one found by AFTVnews, and the other shows the same device in a white casing. Blass' images also clearly show prompts for Alexa commands on the display.
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The photos also align with rumors about the device. The Wall Street Journal reported last fall that the touchscreen-enabled Echo would have a 7-inch display, better speakers, and look more like a tablet on a stand than the current round design.
That said, we seriously hope these are not images of the final product because, well, it's ugly af. It looks more like a corporate video conferencing system than anything close to Amazon's current lineup of relatively sleek Echos.
An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment on the images.
But given that Apple is rumored to be on the verge of releasing its own Siri-enabled home speaker, which is sure to be meticulously designed down to the last detail, let's hope Amazon has something a little better up its sleeve.
UPDATE: May 5, 2017, 12:08 p.m. PDT Updated to include new leaked images from Evan Blass.
Topics Amazon Amazon Echo Gadgets
Karissa was Mashable's Senior Tech Reporter, and is based in San Francisco. She covers social media platforms, Silicon Valley, and the many ways technology is changing our lives. Her work has also appeared in Wired, Macworld, Popular Mechanics, and The Wirecutter. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding and watching too many cat videos on Instagram. Follow her on Twitter @karissabe.
