Rumor: Google is working on a speaker with voice control

Google is said to be working on a speaker with voice control. Users would not only be able to play music through the speaker, but also search for things and give the device commands. The speaker should be released later this year.

The device resembles Google’s router OnHub, Recode reports based on anonymous sources. The project is called ‘Chirp’. Google would like to show a glimpse of the device at its developer conference I/O next week, but the announcement and release would be later this year.

With the wireless speaker, Google wants to get a place in the living room. The search giant is now present on computers and phones, but its presence in living rooms is limited. Users must be able to consult the digital assistant Now and give commands via the speaker.

At the moment, Amazon already has such a product with the Echo. The Echo has seven microphones to recognize remote voice commands. According to Amazon, the Echo can provide answers to frequently asked questions. The user can also make todo lists, set an alarm clock and request the latest news or weather forecast via voice control. It is also possible to use the Echo with fitness exercises. The speaker communicates via WiFi with Amazon cloud servers to perform the Alexa voice recognition.

Google OnHub