Rumor Fact(ory): Samsung may be developing second, cheaper Galaxy Home smart speaker

Samsung introduced its first smart speaker hardware in August, but before the Galaxy Home even hits the shelves, the company may be hard at work on its second project in that segment. SamMobile cited an anonymous source that claimed Samsung is developing a second smart speaker for its Bixby voice assistant. The second speaker is reportedly targeting a lower price point, which would most likely put it in competition with the Amazon Echo Dot and the Google Home Mini.

This is a very early and unconfirmed development, but it would be a reasonable next step for Samsung. The company has been slow out of the starting blocks in smart speakers and voice controls, and it has lots of ground to make up. In its favor, Samsung is a strong player in the smartphone market, so it does have a pre-existing audience who can use Bixby on their personal mobile devices. And the lower-cost versions of smart speakers have been top sellers that helped both Amazon and Google stay at the top of the industry. Samsung may struggle to take market share from the current leaders, but having a product line that meets the industry standards could be a good start.