Samsung Bixby Smart Speaker to Have Built-In Touchscreen, Media Casting Support?
Samsung is reportedly working on a Bixby Smart speaker to compete with the new Apple HomePod speaker.
Apple and Samsung have one of the fiercest rivalries in the tech industry. After the release of the Apple HomePod speaker, Samsung could be taking things up a notch when it releases its own voice-activated smart speaker.
Rumor has it that Samsung is now developing Bixby-powered smart speakers. After all, Apple uses Siri for the HomePod, Google utilizes the Google Assistant for Google Home, and Amazon has the Alexa assistant for its Echo speakers. The Korean company is reportedly coming up with a home audio device and a patent for the design has already been filed.
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In terms of specs, the upcoming speaker is likely to support media casting, similar to Google's Cast and Apple's Airplay. The Bixby AI could already stream digital content from various providers like YouTube, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video in its current form, so those features could be added to the new speaker as well.
Considering Bixby's other capabilities, a built-in touchscreen and camera are not outside the realm of possibility. The device might be able to distinguish physical objects placed in front of it, similar to the technology used on the latest Echo Show speaker.
Samsung's rumored home speaker is currently dubbed the Bixby speaker but the final name might be Samsung Hello. Back in February, the tech giant managed to get Samsung Hello trademarked. It was initially described as a voice-enabled software that can control devices and store digital content. Samsung Hello was even confused as Bixby's real name or one of its main features at the time.
Korea Herald claimed Samsung might release its Bixby-powered speakers this fall, along with the Galaxy Note 8 phablet. While details about the device's availability and pricing are still under wraps, it is expected to retail around $330 like the Amazon Echo.
