If this rumor proves to be true, then the battle of the AI and voice activated smart speaker will truly be on. Samsung is reportedly working on their very own digital smart speaker, to go up against the likes of Amazon’s Echo devices, Alphabet Inc’s Google Home, and Apple’s upcoming HomePod. The Korean OEM will use its own AI, Bixby, so they should probably hurry up the process of fixing the voice components of the app so it can be released in English speaking countries.
According to sources, they have spent over a year already in developing this product codenamed Vega but the features that will come with it haven’t been specified as of yet. Plus the aforementioned delay of the release of Bixby in other territories has also slowed down the development of the smart speakers, since it will mostly rely on Bixby’s voice-activated artificial intelligence prowess. Sources familiar with the matter are saying it’s because they’re having a hard time adjusting the syntax and grammar aspects of the AI.
If “Vega” does eventually get off the ground, they face a lot of competition from other big names. Amazon currently has 70% of the market, since they have several Echo devices already. Aside from Google Home and HomePod, you also have Microsoft’s Invoke which will come this fall and Alibaba will also be releasing one, but it’s targeted at Chinese consumers anyway.
The emergence of the voice-acth hated smart speakers is really less about earning from this but rather getting big data from their consumers. These virtual assistants work better and improve its features and functions the more you use it. Now if only Samsung will be able to fix Bixby’s English problems.
VIA: Wall Street Journal
