Renowned technology company Huawei put their name on the smart speaker business as it unveiled the AI Cube on Friday in Germany.
The AI Cube, which is the company's first smart speaker, draws a comparison to the Google Home, but the Chinese technology giant managed to distinguish itself from the competition by including a 4G router. Additionally, the AI Cube is also powered by Amazon's Alexa voice assistant. However, Huawei did not announce the price of the Alexa-powered smart speaker.
At present, Huawei doesn't have its own voice assistant equipment. The Alexa enables it to be available in multiple languages such as English and German.
Huawei's smart speaker and router combo have been in the works for quite some time. Just last year, a Huawei senior executive revealed that the company was looking at the possibility of assimilating voice technology into its Wi-Fi routers.
"The Huawei AI Cube represents a new easy and convenient way to control your smart home devices and deliver high-quality audio. It also represents our commitment to innovation and collaboration between telecommunication, technology, and new AI technology ... We think we can build a better-connected world with more AI devices," a Huawei executive said.
The AI Cube will be circulated in Europe at the end of this year. However, Huawei did not mention whether it would be released in the United States or China later.
Exceptional And First-Rate Features
The AI Cube, which sports a dimension of 116 mm x 116 mm x 218 mm, is beefed up with a SIM card slot as well as an 802.11ac dual-band (2.4GHz/5GHz) Wi-Fi chip that has the capability to broadcast data at speeds up to 1,200 Mbps. In addition, the smart speaker is likewise geared with ports that are hidden modestly beneath the base.
Huawei also claimed that the AI Cube is armed with a 400ml sound cavity and aluminum diaphragm that lets it produce a full-rounded bass and suite technology. In addition, the smart speaker is also built with four microphones with far-field voice recognition. The AI Cube will also come in different colors.
The Chinese technology company is hoping to outduel Google Home, Lenovo's Smart Display, Samsung's Bixby speaker, Amazon Echo, and Apple HomePod. Research firm IDC estimates that the value of the smart speaker market is expected to reach $17.4 billion in 2022 from 4.4 billion last year.
Photo: Kārlis Dambrāns | Flickr
