Earlier this month, Huawei released their Mate 20 series smartphones in London. And now, the company has launched the Mate 20 trio in the Chinese market. Along with the Mate 20 smartphones, the company also launched a smart AI speaker which draws a lot of inspiration Apple’s HomePod.
The Rise Of AI SpeakersHomePod
With the advancements in AI (Aritficial Intelligence) and Virtual Assistant technology , the smart speaker market is getting very hot. Top tech companies are working hard to grab their shares in this new industry. Companies like Google, Amazon & Apple already offer smart speakers and recently [...]
The new Amazon Echo Plus (2nd Gen) has been launched and it hosts a lot of improvements over the previous generation. The new improved Echo Plus is different both inside and out. With improved sound quality and some evident design changes, the Echo Plus looks promising, to say the least. Launched at a price of Rs 14,999, we take a look at what it packs inside.
Inside The BoxThe Box houses the device itself, a quick start manual and warranty information. Apart from this, it houses the wall adapter which powers the Echo Plus. The wall adapter has a really long wire, ensuring that you can place the device at a spot of your convenience.
Design ChangesThe [...]
The smart speaker industry has been on the rise in India. After the entry of Amazon’s Echo line of speakers, Google recently launched the Home and Home Mini in India as well. Up until now, the Google Home Mini and Google Home were priced on par with the Echo Dot and Echo, respectively. Amazon, however, has announced a price cut for the two smart speakers, making them more affordable than Google’s offerings.
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The Google Home Mini, which was launched at a price of Rs [...]
At the Worldwide Developer’s Conference 2017, Apple unveiled its first-ever smart speaker, the Apple HomePod. After a lot of delays, it finally went on sale on the 27th of January. So far, the smart speaker from Apple has been very well-received by critics for its sound quality. However, it appears that quality in performance has not translated into sales for Apple. According to Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at KGI Securities, HomePod shipments “could be far below market expectations” this year.
In a research note, Kuo has said that the market expects HomePod shipments to arrive at 5-10 million units in the 2018 fiscal year. But, according to their [...]
Google India is hosting an event on the 10th of April for the launch of the Google Home smart speakers. Flipkart has now made a dedicated page for the Google Home speakers. The Flipkart page features a Google Home and Google Home Mini with a hashtag #MakeGoogleDoIt. Additionally, the page also mentions different capabilities of these devices like hands-free play and pause gestures.
The Google Home and the Google Home Mini are the first set of smart speakers from the company which will also be powered by the Google Assistant. These smart speakers need to be connected to a Wi-Fi network. The speakers act as great music players but once connected they can be used to also control [...]
The smart speakers industry has been thriving globally for a couple of years now. The Apple HomePod has recently joined the Amazon’s Echo lineup and Google’s Home speakers. In India, however, the only notable smart speakers available are the Amazon Echo speakers and the recently launched Eufy Genie. That is about to change, as Google will launch its Home smart speakers in India some time in April.
A new report claims that Reddington India has apparently communicated with its retailers about the scheduled launch. Right now, Google has three smart speakers in its Home lineup.], the Google Home Mini, Home and Home Max. In India, however, the company will to [...]
Xiaomi has launched one of the most affordable Mi A1 Speaker in China. The accessory has been launched along with the Mi MIX 2s and the Mi Gaming Laptop. The Mi AI Speaker comes with a cubical design with rounded corners. The speaker is priced at 169 Yuan (Rs 1,699) in China. The speaker has a shiny white plastic build quality, which is acceptable for the price tag. As of now, the company has not made any announcement on the global availability.
The mini speaker is powered by AI, which has an access to more than 35 million songs. Additionally, the speaker can also work as a smart alarm clock, with the ability to schedule a memo or a reminder. Similarly, the speaker can also [...]
Evern since Google launched the Pixel 2 and the iPhone X came with a Bionic chipset, the trend of AI has been on a rise. Companies like Apple, Amazon, and Samsung have their own voice assistants, while the others have incorporated Google Assistant. At the CES 2018, LG announced the ThinQ Smart Display with Google Assistant and ThinQ Smart Assistant speaker. Both smart home accessories are now available on B&H for pre-order in the USA.
Pricing and availabilityThe LG ThinQ Smart Display with Google Assistant is priced at US$ 296.99 and the ThinQ Smart Assistant speaker is priced at US$ 196.99. Both models are available for pre-order. However, the website has not mentioned [...]
The Apple HomePod is Apple’s answer to Amazon Echo and Google Home. Ever since its launch, the HomePod has received rave reviews. It is even being termed as the best-sounding smart speaker on the market right now. According to a number of HomePod users, the Siri-powered speaker tends to leave a permanent mark on the wooden surface. The marks are quite reminiscent of a hollow circle, that has a major effect on the oil-based wood table.
After such complaints, Apple updated its official support page for HomePod. It now reads:
It is not unusual for any speaker with a vibration-dampening silicone base to leave mild marks when placed on some wooden surfaces. The marks [...]
Apple announced its Siri-powered smart speaker HomePod at its developer conference in June 2017. At the time, the company said it would go on sale in December 2017. However, due to some reasons, Apple pushed the release and it is now finally available in the US, UK and Australia at a price of US$ 349. The HomePod will hit the stores on February 9th and that is the shipping date of the pre-ordered units as well. It will be available in two colour variants, white and space grey.
While the fanfare around an Apple product launch is enough for it to be sold out within minutes, the HomePod [...]
Facebook is more than just a social networking service and has been constantly expanding its business. From buying Instagram to acquiring WhatsApp, the most popular instant messaging service, the company is widening its reach every acquisition. One thing that Facebook has so far failed impress in, is its hardware capabilities. Back in 2013, Facebook launched an HTC-made smartphone that revolved around its social networking services. The smartphone failed to impress the consumers and disappeared in a few months.
For a few months, there have been rumours of Facebook working on a smart speaker with a display, much like the Amazon Echo Show, which will [...]
The smart speaker segment is becoming increasingly crowded nowadays. While the products started as a pricey investment into smart home tech, the likes of Amazon Echo Dot or the Google Home Mini can be bought for US $49 or less. However, one company is stepping into the segment which is known for making cost-effective smart home products but, mainly keeps them in its native market of China. Xiaomi, the famous Chinese smartphone maker has introduced the Yeelight Voice Assistant, a smart speaker which will reportedly cost about US $30.
The new smart speaker will be powered by Microsoft’s own voice assistant Cortana, which could be mainly due to the partnership [...]
