Samsung is beta testing its second smart speaker before launching its first

We’ve still seen no signs of Samsung’s Galaxy Home smart speaker more than a year after it was first unveiled, but the company is already moving ahead with its second device. Samsung has started accepting sign-ups to beta test the Galaxy Home Mini. The product is a pint-sized version of the curved design for the Galaxy Home, minus the tripod legs. It operates through Samsung’s Bixby voice assistant and has some physical controls on the top of the speaker. South Koreans who own Samsung phones can sign up to test the new device by September 1.

The development of a second, less expensive smart speaker had already been rumored for Samsung back in January. It still has not made any further statements about when either version of its first smart speaker might actually reach the market. The latest update on the Galaxy Home pegged the device for release in the back half of 2019.

Anna Washenko