Google Home Mini, Google Home Max… Google is really digging deep in its bit to try and catch Amazon up in the smart speaker game (though, looking at the figures that may take some work).
Some apt at reading code have noticed something telling in the Google app code – evidence that behind the scenes at Google HQ employees are hard at work at creating a device capable of supporting on-display features, akin to the Amazon Echo Show. These features include YouTube video playback, web browsing, Google Maps support, personalised home screens, notifications, timers, weather, photo galleries and more.
Spotted by AndroidPolice, at the moment we have little to go on other than this information when it comes to what form the device would take. Given Google’s current level of investment in its voice offerings, in addition to the potential to hook up Chromecast and Google Home, it seems likely the company would continue to be ‘inspired’ by Amazon and go down a Show-esque route.
Remember Google pulled YouTube from the Echo Show after a disagreement on its use, so this potential integration could give a touchscreen and voice-controlled speaker from Google the edge.
For now, all we can do is speculate, with a mid-2018 launch date forecast for the offering.