Amazon slashes price of new Echo speaker to $100

Amazon.com Inc. said Wednesday it is cutting the price of its Echo smart speaker from $180 to $100, improving the sound quality and upgrading its appearance with six new "shells." The announcement was the first of several Amazon is making at an event for journalists in Seattle. The next-generation speaker, which is powered by Amazon's Alexa voice assistant, will have a dedicated woofer and a tweeter for the first time, as well as Dolby sound. "We want to make sure we are building a product that everyone can use," said David Limp, Amazon's senior vice president of devices and services. The online retailer also announced a premium $150 version of the device called the Echo Plus, which has improved sound and can act as the hub of a smart home.