Is Samsung Hello an Amazon Echo Killer?
It looks like the Galaxy S8 won't be the only device from Samsung this year with an AI assistant inside. The company could be working on a new Amazon Echo and Google Home competitor named Hello.
Hello could be Samsung's answer to Alexa and Google Home. Credit: Galaxy Club
Samsung-tracking sites GalaxyClub and Sammobile have floated the possibility by analyzing a patent, trademark, import listing, and a Wi-Fi certification.
First up, the patent. According to Sammobile, Samsung in late-2016 filed for a patent on a "Humanoid Robot" that would work in the home and could act as a smart home appliance like the Echo. While Samsung files for patents all the time on technologies it might never offer, it was enough to boost some suspicion.
Last year, a trademark was awarded to Samsung for the name "Samsung Hello." The description, according to Sammobile, which obtained a copy of it, refers to "software that gives personalized features and information based on user’s preferences in the fields of weather, music, entertainment, games, travel, science, health, contact, and social news via voice command and voice recognition."
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Sammobile pointed to a recent Wi-Fi certification Samsung secured on an as-yet-announced gadget called the "SM-R210." The listing says that the device will come with Wi-Fi connectivity and run on Samsung's Tizen OS. According to Sammobile's check, it's also the first SM-R2XX device, suggesting it's something entirely new.
So, putting all that together, given the timing and the features, is it possible that a humanoid-looking device could run an intelligent assistant and get the name Samsung Hello? Sure. But Samsung hasn't confirmed anything.
Many big companies, including Apple and Microsoft, are looking to take on Alexa and Google Home. So a Hello device wouldn't be a big surprise.
See also : 45 Best Amazon Alexa Skills
