This comes after five months of Amazon’s launch of the Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Plus in India. This means that Amazon has a head-start in the country, as its speakers have already been available since November.
The Google Home is a smart speaker powered by Assistant. It’s intended as Google’s competitor to the Amazon Echo, and it’s worth noting that Amazon and Google dominate the smart speaker market. Amazon is in the first position with the Alexa-powered Echo range of smart speakers, followed by Google with the Google Assistant-powered Home speakers.
Users can interact with the Google Home by setting up the speaker to recognize their voice. They can choose from two hotword commands: ‘Ok Google’ and ‘Hey Google’. The smart speaker can answer common queries and help manage tasks such as reminders, appointments, etc. The device has interchangeable bases that come in a variety of colors.
The Home Mini, on the other hand, was launched in October 2017 alongside the Home Max. It’s intended as a budget and compact option, as it retails for $49. It’s a competitor to Amazon’s Echo Dot, which retails for Rs. 4499 ($69) in India.
As of now, there is no available information regarding the Indian pricing of the Google Home and Mini. It’s also unknown whether the Wi-Fi-enabled speakers will be available only via offline stores or whether they will be sold online as well. We expect to learn about the speakers’ Indian price tags at the official launch event.
Also, Google also has plans to launch some other products, including the Pixelbook, home automation devices and even a mid-range smartphone in the Indian market. These products are expected later this year, however, and not be present during the April 10 event.