It should really come as no surprise that Samsung is planning to join the smart speaker bandwagon.
With Amazon and Apple leading the charge, and other high-profile companies such as Apple trying to break into the market with varying degrees of success, Samsung also wants a piece of the pie.
The company aims to hedge its own attempt in the form of a standalone device that's powered by Bixby, a proprietary digital assistant that debuted last year with the release of the Galaxy S8. While Bixby has barely made a dent in the digital assistant landscape, as Google still reigns the mobile space in that department, Samsung clearly wants to keep trying.
Samsung Bixby Smart Speaker
As such, the South Korean electronics company is reportedly debuting a Bixby smart speaker during the Galaxy Note 9 unveiling on Aug. 9. It will resemble the Amazon Echo, Google Home, and Apple HomePod in concept.
The report, which comes from The Wall Street Journal, primarily talks about Samsung's plans for a foldable Galaxy smartphone, but it spills a bit of information about the speaker too. The device is rumored to cost $300, $50 cheaper than the HomePod but more expensive than Amazon and Google's devices.
Samsung previously confirmed as early as February that a Bixby smart speaker was in the works. A new Galaxy-branded smartwatch could also be unveiled during the aforementioned event.
Samsung Bixby Smart Speaker
According to the report, Samsung's speaker has a "bowled shape, with a legged bottom and lights at the top." Similar to Apple, Samsung plans to market the device as primarily a premium speaker, with the "smart" features added in for convenience. It is said to feature "sound shifting, where the speaker's audio can be beamed in the direction of a person providing verbal commands."
The Challenges Ahead
The device certainly sounds promising, but it faces tough competition at that reported price tag. Apple is already designing a cheaper iteration of the HomePod reportedly because of disappointing sales, and that's despite its incredibly loyal user base.
Samsung also faces the challenge of setting its speaker apart from cheaper choices in the market — what exactly can it do that the others can't, and is that going to be worth the higher price tag?
Make sure to check back with Tech Times as we learn more about the Bixby smart speaker. In the meantime, if you have any thoughts, feel free to sound them off in the comments section below!
