Is this Amazon's next killer smart device? Touchscreen Amazon Echo 2 leaked online

Images have surfaced purporting to show off the new Amazon Echo Show featuring a built-in touchscreen, tipped to be announced by the company in the coming weeks.

The images, which were allegedly taken from Amazon's own servers, depict a boxy-looking device with a 7in display and integrated speaker, allowing users to interact with it using both touch as well as voice, a la the current Amazon Echo. The screen will be able to notify users of upcoming events and calendar appointments while also displaying message notifications, time, date and weather conditions.

The photo was first published by Amazon hardware blog AFTV news, before renowned mobile device leaker Evan Blass came forward with additional, better-quality images. If legitimate, the Echo Show marks a significant departure from the previous device and boasts a far less inspiring design.

Previous reports suggested the new Echo might feature an adjustable display that could tilted according to whether the user was standing or sitting, although the images recently published online suggest the screen will be fixed. Instead, the device is built so that the screen angles upward slightly.

Users will also be able to ''pin'' items to the device's screen as reminders, a bit like how you might stick shopping lists or post-it notes to a refrigerator, according to Bloomberg.

The device appears to feature a front-facing camera situated above the display, indicating that the new Amazon Echo may feature video calls. It may additionally be capable of making voice calls, meanwhile the speaker itself is reported to be louder and of higher audio quality than the current Echo.

Amazon was not immediately able to confirm the legitimacy of the photo or where it came from. Reports indicate that the new device, if formally announced by the company later this month, is expected to cost between $200 and $300 (£150-£230).