In line with the earlier reports, Samsung has now confirmed the existence of a smart speaker. The company has told CNBC that the Samsung Smart speaker is in works and will be launched “soon.” It’s most likely that the company will bake in a custom version of Bixby for the smart speaker.
The confirmation came from DJ Koh, President of Samsung’s mobile division. He further added that “Maybe soon we will announce it. I am already working on it.” Samsung is apparently working on the smart speakers in order to provide a “fruitful user experience at home with Samsung devices.”
Needless to say, Samsung will be heavily relying on its own ecosystem of devices including the smart home space, TV’s, refrigerators and also the Galaxy S8 and Note 8 devices. Users are expected to connect to their devices via the Bixby.
On further questioning by CNBC, Mr. Koh said that the Smart Speaker would fit into the “company’s broader home ambitions.” In all likelihood, the smart speaker product can be used to connect to lights, TV’s fridge, and even thermostat. The previous reports have suggested that Samsung is prepping a smart speaker named Vega. However, the report also suggested how the whole roll out process was slowed down due to the delay in U.S English Language version of the Bixby. In fact, Samsung was forced to release the S8 without Bixby in the U.S.
Google and Amazon have been the flag bearers when it comes to smart speakers. In fact, Amazon Echo has been well-endowed with hundreds of skills that have helped it gain traction. As far as Samsung is concerned the success of smart speaker mainly depends on the integration with third party services and apps.