Google (GOOG, GOOGL) on Tuesday announced that its Amazon Echo Show competitors will begin hitting the market in July. The company’s smart displays, which will be manufactured by partners like Lenovo, will be powered by the Google Assistant and allow you to interact with the Assistant via voice and touch.
According to Google, smart displays will do everything from let you watch cooking videos while putting together dinner, as well as watch live TV and videos from YouTube.
I tested Lenovo’s Smart Display at the Consumer Electronics Show in January and liked the look of its wooden rear panel — but I wasn’t able to use too many of its features, since it was still an early build.
The finalized version should put pressure on Amazon’s (AMZN) Echo Show, which is powered by that company’s Alexa smart assistant. Google benefits from its work on smartphones and the fact that it already has an Assistant visual element available on smartphones.
Pricing for the Lenovo Smart Display is expected to start at $199 for an 8-inch display and $229 for a 10-inch display. Amazon’s Echo show, meanwhile, is currently on sale for $159, and features a 7-inch screen.
The news about smart display came as Google announced a series of other improvements to the Assistant including the addition of 6 new voices, the ability to continue conversations with the Assistant without having to constantly say “Hey, Google,” and for the Assistant to take multiple actions at once and be able to make custom and scheduled routines.
Smart displays will begin hitting the market in July.
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