In addition to being the world’s largest handset vendor, Samsung also continues to dominate the TV market while supplying the vast majority of smartphone displays out there and topping global chip sales. The tech giant is a major tablet and smartwatch manufacturer as well, but one industry the company hasn’t been able to crack just yet is ruled by arch-rivals Amazon and Google.
We’re talking about digital assistants in general and AI-powered smart speakers in particular, like Bixby and the Galaxy Home aren’t exactly considered serious challengers for Google Assistant, Alexa, and their army of standalone devices designed for home use. Of course, a big reason why the Samsung Galaxy Home hasn’t managed to take off might be that it’s still not actually up for grabs anywhere around the world.
First showcased a whopping nine months ago, the Google Home Max and Apple HomePod rival looked destined for an impending commercial debut several times since then, but unfortunately for Samsung, none of the optimistic rumors floating around materialized. At one point, the company’s own CEO was reportedly quoted as teasing this bad boy’s arrival “by April”, although subsequent statements brought back the vagueness, hinting at a launch in the “first half of 2019.”
With the HomePod and Google Home Max out for a few years now, not to mention a flurry of lower-end, lower-cost models from both Google and Amazon, it felt late for the Samsung Galaxy Home to join the party even last fall. But while Bixby is still widely derided or, at best, ignored, its recent progress is also undeniable. Apart from handy voice assistance and smart home controls, Samsung’s first in-house smart speaker aims to shine in the audio quality department thanks to premium AKG enhancements. Perhaps that could be its saving grace.