Ahead of its long-rumored expansion into the Australian market, online shopping giant Amazon is said to be preparing a major hardware update for their Echo and Alexa products.

Specifically, Amazon is said to be looking at adding support for uninterrupted voice calls using the Echo.

Intercom functionality between Alexa-compatible smart devices is also said to be a focus.

Sources told ReCode they expect an announcement in the coming months.

If this proves true, it could mean that the long-awaited rollout of the Alexa and Echo to the Australian market could come with a bevy of new features.

Amazon has previously been tipped for a local expansion in September of 2017.

Amazon spokespeople have declined to comment.