When Samsung all but confirmed that they were working on a standalone smart speaker to showcase Bixby, a lot of people wondered if it will take them as long as they did to roll out their digital assistant previously. Rumors were that they were planning to release it in the first half of 2018, but now it looks like the delays are starting again as they are now supposedly targeting the second half of the year, probably along with the Galaxy Note 9.
According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, the launch of the Bixby speakers will most likely be later this year. And while again, there are no official statements or specifics yet from the company, Samsung President for the Mobile Division DJ Koh said they want to “focus on the premium”. This means that it’s probably still in the development stage so don’t expect a surprise announcement anytime soon.
As to what that premium is, our best guess is that they want to improve on the sound quality of the speakers. They have an advantage as they own Harman who owns AKG, so there is no lack of technology and hardware power to bring a smart speaker that also sounds good. As to whether the actual Bixby can live up to the smart speaker moniker, that remains to be seen. So far it hasn’t impressed users that much, but there is time for improvement.
Expect the speakers to also have big smart home integration since Samsung also owns SmartThings. If they are indeed moving the launch to later this year, it might coincide with the Galaxy Note 9 announcement. Well, that is if they stick to the schedule.
VIA: SlashGear
