Amazon.com Inc. plans to release a portable version of Echo, the dystopian voice-controlled speaker.

The new device has a codename of Fox. The Echo, which feels like a cross between a music player and a digital butler, has received positive reviews on Amazon. But beyond music, the speaker can leverage the power of Amazon's Siri competitor, Alexa, to remind things such as weather, sports scores, and traffic conditions.

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Amazon's more than 30,000 reviewers have given the Echo an average 4.5 out of 5 stars, which is a contrast to the company's failed Fire phone in which 43 percent of reviewers on the site rated it one star, according toWall Street Journal. 

These initiatives could help make Amazon's voice-activated software present inside and outside the home, helping the company battle Apple Inc., Alphabet Inc.'s Google and Microsoft Corp. which largely have relied on smartphones and tablets for their voice assistants.

The new version of Echo will supposedly be charged on a dock, and it will only respond to voice commands after a button is pushed. The latter makes sense because the original Echo's always-on listening capabilities would chew through battery too quickly to be practical. The portable version will be smaller than the original Echo, and it will fit comfortably in the palm of the user's hand.

In addition, the current Echo's voice-activated command is set to play music, turn on Internet-connected lights, answer questions or even tell jokes.

The giant online retailer developed the new speaker at its secretive hardware lab in Silicon Valley, called Lab126, which created many of Amazon's other devices, including its Kindle e-reader and Fire tablet and phone. Amazon is relying on Singapore-based Flextronics International Ltd. to help make the device.

The new portable device is expected to have a price tag lower than the $180 Echo in part to attract more buyers, Business Insider reported. 

The Echo was launched in late 2014 and became a surprise hit with customers, despite its odd shape and few similar products on the market. The device brought the e-commerce giant into the competitive market of voice assistants.

It is not the first time that Amazon brings good news with Echo and its plans to expand its reach. At the previous Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016 in Las Vegas, Ford announced a partnership with Amazon to integrate its vehicles with Echo.