⁍ Amazon is debating a sales price exceeding $1,000 for its Alexa home robot, according to people familiar with the matter.
⁍ At that price point, the yet-to-be-released home-roaming device, code-named ‘Vesta,’ would become Amazon’s most expensive hardware product to date.
⁍ The premium market would be new territory for Amazon’s hardware business, which typically makes affordable products that appeal to more budget-conscious users.
– Amazon’s next disruptive product could be its most expensive yet. Sources tell Bloomberg that the company is considering a price tag of more than $1,000 for its upcoming Alexa-powered home robot, code-named Vesta. At that price point, the robot—which one source describes as a “Roomba vacuum cleaner in human form”—would become Amazon’s most expensive hardware product to date, targeting the higher-income demographic. The Vesta team, which has been working on the robot for two years, has been plagued by delays and high turnover, insiders tell Business Insider. The team is hoping for a “trickle-down” effect of the robot inspiring other Alexa products in the home. One person says the biggest benefit of releasing a home robot was data collection. A robot that moves around the entire home could help Amazon better understand home layouts and where voice commands are made most frequently within the household. Amazon’s hardware strategy has historically been focused on expanding its user base by adding the Alexa voice assistant to more commonly used products, like headsets or microwaves, at affordable prices. The Vesta device is expected to be about waist-high and have the ability to move around the house on voice commands.
Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-vesta-home-robot-considering-1000-price-tag-2020-7