Samsung Will Launch a Bixby-Powered Home Speaker
Samsung will reportedly join the home speaker competition.
After Amazon Echo and Google Home proved to be a market hit, Apple also announced the release of the HomePod last month. In an apparent move to challenge other leading manufacturers, Samsung is rumored to release a Bixby-powered home speaker.
The planned tabletop device is expected to sport voice-activated features to match early players in the home speaker arena, according to Wall Street Journal's sources who are "familiar with the matter."
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Bixby is Samsung's own artificial intelligence platform that debuted in the Galaxy S8 and S8+.
The project is certainly on a roll and is reportedly internally referred to as "Vega." Sources add that it has been under development for more than a year now.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that the timeline for the making of the device is yet to be finalized. But according to Patently Apple, Samsung will introduce the Bixby-powered speaker early next year during the Consumer Electronics Show.
Patently Apple adds that Samsung will offer variants of the speaker, depending on how the buyers intend to use them. There will be a Wireless 360-Degree Audio which was first introduced by Samsung in 2015 and can work well in spacious areas. Then there will also be an All-in-One Soundbar model with a subwoofer and will be best to use with TV screens.
The Bixby speakers' possible advantage over its competition is its expected ability to adapt to the particular needs of its users. Patently Apple says Samsung's upcoming home speaker will be able "upgrade itself" and will be designed to recognize people's voices better.
So far, Amazon is leading the race in terms of innovation. In May, the company announced the first home speaker clad with a 7-inch screen called the Echo Show for $230. The product was released in the market on June 28.
Meanwhile, Google Home developers are exerting more efforts to further expand compatibility support for more third-party devices, platforms and apps. Google Home can conveniently ensure that its owner's home is locked or check if the lights need to switched off even when they are away.
On the other hand, Apple's HomePod is more focused on providing a wireless speaker that can easily be connected to users' Apple Music accounts. But what it lacks in variety of function, it makes up for with its hardware specs.
