Dec 18th, 2020 It’s been more than six years since the original Amazon Echo made its debut in 2014. At the time, it was the very first ever always-listening smart speaker. The design itself was different from most gadgets, ditching the familiar boxy or rectangular shape that people had grown accustomed to by cramming the smart speaker’s components into a cylinder. While the device had its benefits, many of Amazon’s critics mocked it with some believing it was a useless gimmick that would never become mainstream. By now, I think we can all agree that those critics were wrong. Shortly after the Echo’s debut, other companies saw the potential and followed suit, developing their own smart speakers to compete with Amazon. Since then, Amazon has sold millions of Echos and to keep the momentum, Amazon has launched a redesigned Echo lineup this year, giving their smart speakers a fresh new look.