It is now revealed that Samsung is finally ready to launch its first Bixby-powered smart speaker in the market. Answering questions from Samsung users, a Samsung authority has said that the Galaxy Home Mini speakers can be launched in South Korea on 7 February. The officer in charge of Samsung's mobile division said that the device will sell for 99,000.
However, a Samsung company representative has mentioned that the release date has not been set, this can still change “according to the situation”. This seems unlikely though, as the company stated that the release date is just a few days away to launch its product, and Samsung certainly wouldn't want to make any last-minute changes at its schedule. In the previous month, the company said that it would launch the Galaxy Home Mini in early 2020.
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Samsung has produced a Bixby powered smart speaker that has already suffered several delays. They first announced the launch of Galaxy Home in August 2018. But this device made a presence at CES 2019, but it only exists in the form of vapor. The “mini” version of the smart speaker powered by Samsung Bixby was announced last year and now appears to be ready to face the real world. Perhaps, this delay occurred because Samsung was still refining its in-house voice assistant Bixby. So, we should say that Bixby is now ready to compete against the popularity of Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant.
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These two already have a strong presence in the market. Will Samsung be able to make a share of itself in such a crowded smart speaker market, or is it too late already? Only time will tell. Samsung recently published an announcement on its South Korean website stating that the Galaxy Home Mini will hit retail shelves in its home country on 12 February. While the post has been taken down, it's given us a sign of what to expect from the upcoming Samsung Smart Speaker. The Galaxy Home Mini features a round mesh design with AKG branding on top. Reports previously suggested that it might be equipped with four infrared (IR) remote transmitters, allowing you to manage IR-based devices offline.
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It can certainly control voice commands as well as connected smart devices. As of the now-removed announcement, the Galaxy Home Mini has given two microphones to facilitate voice recognition over long distances. The device can leverage external sensors to detect emergencies such as fire, smoke, or leak in your home and provide instant notifications. It can also tell us when an appliance is not working. You will also be able to send and receive messages, as well as make and receive calls via Home Mini even if your smartphone is not in your favor. The Galaxy Home Mini promises to deliver premium quality audio experiences with 360-degree surround sound. This new smart speaker also has a multi-room speaker feature. It is quite likely that the Galaxy Home Mini will arrive in South Korea on the said date. Samsung may announce official release date for international markets at the Galaxy Unpacked event on February 11 in San Francisco.