Xiaomi Launches Cheapest Smart Speaker in the Market

Xiaomi, in its own distinct fashion, is gunning straight for the likes of Google and Apple by introducing a smart assistant in its latest MIUI 9 along with its very own Mi AI Speaker.

This will directly compete with Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home and Apple’s (soon to be released) HomePod.

A Hub for all Smart Devices

Xiaomi have an array of smart home products which include devices like smart televisions, washing machines, air purifiers, vacuum cleaners among many others. The smart speaker will act as a central unit for controlling all these devices.

Helping the user to communicate with the device are six microphones surrounding the smart speaker which can detect commands from far away. Add to that the ‘high quality’ sound coming from the speaker and it seems like a good competitor to the existing smart speakers.

What Sets it Apart

From the features it appears to be like any other smart assistant with the usual voice commands for finding information on the internet or playing a song from your library. The aspect which makes this device much more appealing than the competition is its price.

Coming at a mere 299 Chinese Yuan (~4,700 PKR) it is less than half the price of Google Home with a price of $129 (~13,600 PKR) and the difference is even greater when compared to Amazon Echo priced at $180 (~19,000 PKR).

At such a low price it would truly be a remarkable feat for Xiaomi if they provide a competitive user experience with their smart speaker. It would also accelerate Xiaomi’s popularity outside China considering its latest expansion plans.

Availability

As of now only 1,000 beta testers in China will be able to test out the device for a mere one yuan. After ironing out the wrinkles, Xiaomi will launch the device for the Chinese public in August. There is no information about its release in the rest if the world as of now.