Samsung unveils AR glasses, Galaxy Home Mini smart speaker
Live MintSamsung Electronics Co. kicked off 2020 with an array of gadgets from prototype augmented-reality glasses to a new smart speaker that the company hopes will kickstart a fresh foray into the crowded smart home arena. At the heart of Samsung’s new smart home push will be the Galaxy Home Mini smart speaker, which the company plans to release in early 2020, said Hyunsuk Kim, chief executive officer of Samsung’s consumer electronics division. The Galaxy Home Mini comes years after Google’s Home and Amazon.com Inc.’s Echo smart speakers -- and nearly 18 months after Samsung’s promised but never released Galaxy Home -- but the Korean giant believes it can build a unique ecosystem around the Mini by making it the best controlling device for the home gadgets and appliances that bear its brand. Powered by Bixby, Samsung’s answer to digital assistants like Apple Inc.’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa, Samsung’s offering will focus on making home appliances execute voice commands rather than attempting a conversation based on artificial intelligence trained on reams of internet user data. “Samsung will remain a hardware company, forever," said Kim, who is testing the Galaxy Home Mini in his own abode, connecting it to 63 devices that include his curtains, lighting and third-party gadgets.