Amazon will release a portable version of its hybrid speaker and digital butler, 'Echo'

Amazon will soon release a portable version of Echo, its Wifi speaker that responds to voice commands, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The Echo, which feels like a cross between a music player and a digital butler, has garnered positive reviews both on Amazon and from writers including Business Insider's own Steve Kovach.

Kovach described the process of listening to music with the Echo like having a human DJ who is always ready to jump in.

But beyond music, the speaker can leverage the power of Amazon's Siri competitor, Alexa, to tell you things like weather, sports scores, and traffic conditions.

The new Echo will be smaller than the current version, and will not have to be plugged in to accept voice commands - though you will have to push a button. The speaker will "fit comfortably in the palm of a user's hand, like a beer can," the Journal reports. It will be charged with its own docking station,

The Wall Street Journal reports it will sell for a lower price than the $180 the Echo currently costs, though the Journal's sources didn't specify a price range.

This isn't the first news that Amazon is happy with the Echo and wants to expand its reach. Last week at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Ford announced a partnership with Amazon to integrate its vehicles with Echo.

Disclosure: Jeff Bezos is an investor in Business Insider through hispersonal investment company Bezos Expeditions.