From The Verge: Google has already given its blessing for third-parties to make Assistant-powered smart speakers with displays, but the search giant has yet to venture into this territory itself. That might change later this year, with a new report from Nikkei claiming that Google plans to launch its own rival to Amazon’s screen-equipped Echo Show later this year.
As with all rumors sourced from the supply chain, it pays to be skeptical. But insiders speaking to Nikkei say the company is preparing for a holiday blitz. “Google targets to ship some 3 million units for the first batch of the new model of smart speaker that comes with a screen,” one industry source told the Japanese publication. “It’s an aggressive plan.”
Smart speakers with displays (or “smart displays”) offer a number of obvious benefits. A screen makes it easy to tweak settings, look up information, follow recipes, or watch videos. They often work well in the kitchen, where hands-free screens are particularly useful. But despite these benefits, it’s not clear that the format can compete with tablets and laptops.
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