They should make a whole affordable suit of bulbs and sensors. I think Amazon could almost replace hue and make affordable $10-$15 sensors. The vast majority won’t think to use them with another platform. 95% of people will just see them as “echo” sensors.
Or they could just buy Signify, the people who make Hue.
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That too 
. I’d think they’d want their own “echo” line tho
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Amazon likes to try different things. The Zigbee radio was part of the Echo Plus four years ago, and that concept didn't really take off. Perhaps they plan to put more into it now that their mainstream Echo includes it.
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Imagine if Amazon released $20 temp, contact, and motion sensors. $25 smart bulbs
FWIW, there are already sensors and bulbs in that price range that work with the Echo as a zigbee coordinator.
There's simply no real money to be made in the "cheap widget" market.
Why would Amazon bother, unless they could charge a premium? But if they charged a premium then why would I bother? 
I think because were tech savvy we over estimate the average consumer. My sister wouldn’t go on Ali express or order a temperature sensor from “sonoff”. Or a bulb from sengled. But I promise If Amazon made an “echo” line she’d order at minimum 10 sensors right now. People just trust the Amazon name, I read their smart plug sold like 10m units
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Fair enough. As long as they could charge a few $ more per device than competing companies, it could be profitable enough in volume.
I’m not saying you’re wrong as I know nothing about this tech but isn’t zigbee free? Theoretically isn’t it as cheap as wifi if produced in volume? I think Amazon’s production volume alone would make them profit. I bet their cost to produce a given sensor would be half of let’s say “sonoff”. Selling a sensor for the same $20 as them nets them 2x the profit and kind of soft locks you into the Amazon echo system. Me and you might move to Hubitat etc. but my sister “ my echo broke and I need another one for all my zig-zag stuff”
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It all depends on the volume they could move. All of it is made in the same factories - the only economies to be gained are those of scale, getting somewhat cheaper components in volume.
There just isn't much margin in the existing devices.
I understand. I even took heed when you recommended that temperature sensor. That was partly why I posted this. I’m bad at this stuff, but I’m probably in the 1% of technically include in this stuff (you being 0.0012%) and it’s took me 3 days to find a compatible sensor that you and 2 others say works and I have to wait 1 month for delivery. NO WAY my moms doing that. for her to order , it has to say “for echo”, have 2 day shipping and atleast 1200 positive reviews
You can use all kind of cheap sensors with smartthings and look at where they are now.
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I agree, but it’s nowhere near echo. This is anecdotal but I never met one person in person that had smart things. Which is shocking now that I think about it
I've never met a person in real life that had a smart home. The average person around here, at best as a door bell cam that they check on their phones. It pretty much ends there for most people. This is a niche hobby right now and maybe always will be, but perhaps Amazon can turn that around. Who knows.
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I agree. Echos are fairly common here though. That and smart thermostats, here more people have them than not
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I bought a 4th generation Echo last Christmas when I decided to move away from wall timers controlling lights to using Zigbee bulbs and automating them with Alexa routines.
Also moved away from wi-fi switches to zigbee switches.
Four months later I bought a Hubitat hub.
Alexa routines aren't always reliable, but neither are some of Hubitat's right now.
Not all Zigbee devices work with the Echo devices (I'm looking at you Sonoff humidity/temperature sensor).
That’s another reason I think a echo line of sensors would help
Don't forget Google, Apple and Amazon will be coming out with 'Matter' in a few months. Once that happens you won't hear the term 'zigbee' for the most part as the Zigbee alliance has renamed itself to the Connectivity Standards Alliance. Moving forward all that was once Zigbee will then be known as Matter. How it will play out is anyone's guess, but it is coming... that's for sure.
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I forgot
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