Google already offers a smart speaker, the Google Home, but new rumors suggest the Mountain View company is now developing a smart display.
As reported by Android Authority, Rishi Chandra, Google vice president, recently discussed Google’s vision for integrating smart products into consumers’ home. Although he didn’t directly say that Google was working on a smart display, Chandra’s responses suggest that Google is, in fact, developing one.
During the interview with Variety, Chandra was asked why Google decided to partner with third-party developers like Sony and Lenovo to build smart display products instead of developing its own. Chandra responded by saying that it’s an emerging technology, and that Google may already be developing its own smart display.
Amazon already has a smart display, the Echo Show. Originally released 2017, the Alexa-powered device features a 7-inch display with an Intel Atom processor, built-in speakers, microphone, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The key difference between the Amazon Echo and Echo Show is that only the latter features a display. The Amazon Echo is simply a smart speaker that’s controlled by voice commands.
Google’s smart speaker, the Google Home, has been a key competitor for the Amazon Echo. Like the Echo, the Home is a voice-controlled smart speaker. But the Google Home doesn’t feature a display like the Echo Show, which could discourage some consumers from buying it.
So, what benefits does a display offer for smart products? There’s only so much information a smart product can provide through sound. With a display, a smart product could display the lyrics to a song, function as a digital picture frame, play movies and more.
A smart display could also offer a new method of input, allowing users to control it via voice or touch. The Amazon Echo Show, for instance, features a touchscreen display while still supporting voice commands as well. If a user is busy talking on the phone, he or she can control the device using touch commands.
Google has doubled down on its Home line of smart products in recent years, releasing three variants: Home, Home Mini and Home Max. The Home Mini is a smaller, more affordable version of the company’s flagship smart speaker whereas the Home Max is a larger and more expensive version. Even with these variants, though, Google has yet to release a smart product with an integrated display.
Dil Bole Oberoi
