Google is reportedly working on a mini Google Home smart speaker, which, according to Android Police, could release this fall. The mini Google Home could be launched at the company’s hardware event in the fall, where Google may also release two new Google Pixel devices and a Pixel-branded Chromebook.
Mini Google Home to take on Echo Dot
Tech companies are constantly competing with each other to make a place in the field of connected devices. Amazon is currently the leader in this field with its Echo line powered by its Alexa voice assistant. Google, on the other hand, is following the lead and coming up with its own competing products.
Google Home is powered by Google Assistant, which follows users’ instructions and helps them perform certain tasks. Google Assistant, which is powered by artificial intelligence, collects information about users’ behavior and makes educated guesses and offers suggestions based on all that data.
Now using the same technology, the company could be planning a mini Google Home speaker, which would be positioned as an Amazon Echo Dot competitor. A smaller and cheaper Google Home could be a smart decision, as it will encourage buyers to add more Google Home devices. A cheaper Google Home may also be a good choice for users who want to try out a smart speaker without spending a lot of money.
The Echo Dot was launched with several additional features over the original Echo. It’s not yet clear if the same holds true for the mini Google Home or not. The original Echo lacked a few features which were later added to Amazon’s diminutive Echo Dot, of which one was the ability to connect to a separate speaker via Bluetooth or an auxiliary cable.
What to expect in Google’s upcoming Chromebook
Other products expected to be released at the hardware event are a Chromebook and two Pixel smartphones. Though there is no information on the Chromebook specs, Android Police believes it might have some connection with Google’s secretive Project Bison, which was intended to run on a highly-modified version of Android called Andromeda.
Bison was introduced to compete with Apple’s MacBook and Microsoft’s Surface Pro. It had 128 GB of storage, a 12.3-inch screen, 8 or 16GB of RAM, and a Wacom stylus as an add-on accessory. Expectations at that time were that it would be very similar to the ASUS Chromebook Flip line of laptops with a screen that can rotate a full 360-degrees.
Whether or not the Chromebook coming this fall is the same laptop is not known as of now. Another rumor surrounding the Bison device suggests it will be a pair of Assistant-powered headphones, notes 9to5Google. The idea of Google working on headphones powered by Google Assistant doesn’t come as a surprise. Previously, there were reports of Google’s Project Aura working on wireless headphones that worked through bone conduction.
Additionally, a mysterious Google device featuring Bluetooth LE passed through the FCC earlier this month. Though the filing gave no hints about what the device could be, Bluetooth headphones seem to be a reasonable guess, considering that the upcoming Pixel 2 handset will probably lack a 3.5mm headphone jack.
