Samsung is all about innovation, so the company is hard a work on its own HomePod-like smart speaker. The electronics maker expects to release its product some time in the first half of 2018.
The Samsung smart speaker will reportedly follow the HomePod’s lead and focus more on audio than voice interaction, according to sources speaking with Bloomberg. That will position the device to compete with Apple’s HomePod more than Amazon’s Echo or Google’s Home.
Along with streaming music playback, Samsung’s smart speaker will include Bixby support and voice control for smart home devices. Bixby is Samsung’s voice control assistant, similar to Alexa and Siri.
The insider sources also said Samsung’s smart speaker will sync with Galaxy smartphones, smart TVs, and other Samsung devices. They added Samsung plans to price their device at about US$200. That’ll put it squarely between Amazon’s $99 Echo and Apple’s $349 HomePod.
Samsung has hinted at its smart speaker plans in the past, but this is the first time sources have offered up details about the company’s plans, including a shipping window. CES is coming up at the beginning of January, so maybe Samsung will make an announcement there.