Google is launching a smart speaker that can play music, control Internet of Things devices remotely to led down its rival, Amazon Echo. Google Home is already a worthwhile device for many owners, but its next version may come with additional features packed inside. According to the report, the next version of Google Home may also double as a WiFi router. You need not buy a separate router as the Google Home model will have built-in WiFi router with mesh networking.
Google and Amazon are fighting a huge battle. Both of them are trying to dominate the field. But Edison Investment Research’s Richard Windsor says Amazon has a huge advantage of moving ahead in this battle. Amazon speakers have 10 m echoes shipped compared to less than 1 m Google Home devices. But even so, Google Home is much superior to Alexa that it would be easier for them to defend against Amazon.
The previous version of Google WiFi had a microphone and speaker for Home-style interactions but Google destroyed it to avoid confusion. This previous version could possibly come back. The launch date and price of the Google Home router is not declared yet. If google demands $180 more than echo it is definitely going to attract the buyers who want more value out of a speaker or a router. But if the price goes high then they would need to think again before buying. There are chances that Google Home would rise up in the competition as it offers two-in-one device both Google Assistant and Google Home in one.
“Many smart home device developers are making sure that their devices are compatible with Google Home. This adds a good reason to go with Amazon’s Echo devices rather than Google”, Windsor said. Let’s see if it picks up the next version of Google Home.
