Samsung is reportedly working on a smart Samsung Bixby speaker identical to that of the Amazon Echo. Commenting on the development to CNBC, DJ Koh, Samsung mobile chief disclosed that the upcoming Samsung Bixby speaker will compete with the likes of the Amazon, Google, and Apple.
Koh also added that a new smart speaker will hit the retail shelves very soon. However, he declined to reveal the exact time frame and also about the rumored code name Vega.
Speaking to the media during the sidelines of the Galaxy Note 8 launch event, Koh said that they are working on a smart speaker and will announce it soon. We expect the launch to happen at the upcoming MWC 2018. According to Koh, the company needs to provide a better user experience for their customers with a wide range of Samsung devices. He is moving quite heavily towards the release of the new speaker.
The main purpose of the upcoming Samsung digital speaker is to integrate the Bixby AI. Moreover, the company is also gearing up to establish connectivity with Bixby with Televisions, refrigerators and other smart appliances. The Bixby assistant has been already available in the Galaxy S8 series and Galaxy Note 8 smartphones.
With the upcoming Samsung Bixby speaker, it will be possible to perform various tasks without depending upon the smartphone. You can just request the speaker to perform various functions. The attraction of the Samsung AI-centric speaker is that it will be able to control lights, TVs, and other devices.
In the digital speaker space, Amazon Echo occupies a prominent position since the e-commerce retailer has released a wide range of smart speakers. Apple is scheduled to launch HomePod speaker in December 2017. Meanwhile, Google has already released their smart speaker powered by the Google Assistant. With the arrival of the Samsung speaker, the competition will become tough in the competitive market.
The delay in the launch of the Samsung speaker is attributed to the slow rollout of the US English language version of Bixby. Samsung recently announced that the Bixby digital assistant will be expanded to 200 countries. We don’t have any confirmation about the exact launch of the new Samsung speaker. That said, the tech giants such as Google, Apple, Asus, and Amazon are closely watching the development.
