According to a report in today's Wall Street Journal, Samsung is joining companies like Apple, Amazon, Google and Microsoft by producing a smart speaker. This is the latest tech hit that started with Amazon's launch of the Echo a couple of years ago. They are called smart speakers because the product combines a speaker with a virtual AI personal assistant. Amazon launched Echo with Alexa and this year she took off. Alexa can now be found on some handsets like the Huawei Mate 9 and HTC U11.
The Apple HomePod smart speaker coming in December
Last month, Apple unveiled the HomePod, which has a premium speaker, Apple Music integration, and Siri. Microsoft teamed with Samsung's Harman Kardon and Cortana for the Invoke. And the Google Home combines Google Assistant with a speaker. The Journal report says that Samsung's smart speaker, code named "Vega," has been a year in the making. It will feature Sammy's own AI assistant Bixby. But with the English-language version of Bixby delayed, there is no timetable yet for the product's release.
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36 million Americans will use a smart speaker at least once this month this year, double the amount from 2016. The speakers can give out information like weather, sports scores, stock prices, and if connected to a music app, they can play music on demand. The smart speakers can also be used to control smart appliances. On Amazon's new Echo Show, there is a 7-inch touchscreen which can monitor your front door step among other things.
Will Samsung be able to succeed in a market that is getting more crowded by the second? The answer will probably depend on whether the public falls for Bixby once the English-speaking version of it is ready to go.
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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
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