Xiaomi‘s sub-brand, Redmi, has unveiled its first audio peripheral dedicated to desktop devices — which is now available for pre-order through all channels in China starting today, December 7. This Redmi Desktop Speaker is certified by Golden Ear and is priced at a competitive 199 yuan (~$27).

Design and distinctive features of Redmi’s desktop speaker

In terms of design, the Redmi computer speaker showcases a sleek cylindrical one-piece design, adorned with exquisite mesh fabric and a vibrant, fashionable RGB light strip.

In terms of sound quality, the speakers feature a balanced performance across high, medium, and low frequencies. With a 53° tilt angle architecture designed for desktop scenes, the Redmi computer speakers ensure optimal sound projection. Notably, they secured high scores in a double-blind test conducted by the Golden Ear Laboratory, earning the “CGEC Golden Ear Preferred Product” honorary certificate.

The light strip provides five styles of lighting effects. In the pickup rhythm mode, the DSP intelligently analyzes the music spectrum, allowing the light strip to respond in real-time, creating a dynamic visual experience.

The Redmi computer speakers also feature built-in hidden microphones, making them versatile for voice calls, online classes, remote meetings, and online gaming. The speakers truly cater to the diverse needs of users, combining aesthetics with functionality and promising an immersive audiovisual experience for desktop users.

Advanced connectivity

These computer speakers from Redmi support USB one-line connection, combining USB-A and Type-C interfaces into one. Additionally, they support low-latency Bluetooth 5.0 and come equipped with a 3.5mm audio output interface.

Related:

• Giztop’s Christmas Holiday Savings: Unwrap Joy with Exclusive Discount
• Xiaomi 13 Ultra Premium Camera Phone is now only $799
• Lenovo Legion Y700 2023: Save $100 on this 8-inch gaming Android tablet
• Best iPhone 15 Pro cases for 2023: Dbrand, Spigen, RhinoShield & More
• Best Apple Watch Cases in 2023: Spigen, Otterbox, Casetify & More

(Source)

The post Redmi Desktop Speaker with RGB lights, available for Pre-Order in China at 199 Yuan ($27) appeared first on Gizmochina.

Smart speaker ownership nearly doubled during the pandemic, increasing from 22% of households in 2020 to 39% earlier this year, according to recent data. But why do people buy them, and why do others choose not to?

Why people are buying smart speakers and what non-owners think

A study of 100 smart speaker owners and 15 non-owners who tested one found that people mainly use their smart speakers to listen to music, radio, news, and weather updates. Many people said they listened to the radio more than they had before, and that their smart speaker allowed them to listen to a wider range of stations. Some disabled people said a smart speaker had had a significant impact on their lives, giving them greater independence and helping them manage their conditions and abilities.

People who don’t have a smart speaker either don’t see the point or see it as a luxury rather than a necessity. A few were concerned about being listened to, and a few mentioned that they had heard of other technology being hacked. Most people used their speakers with little concern and did not think about risks on a day-to-day basis.

A large proportion of participants anthropomorphized their smart speakers, referring to them as “he” or “she”. Some people also asked questions in a conversational manner and even read “intent” or “personality” in responses and mistakes.

Ofcom’s latest data shows that 27% of smart speaker owners get their news from their device. Most of our research participants saw their smart speaker news as an addition to more in-depth news coverage, using it for instant headlines but returning to TV, print, or online news for more detail if needed. There was a mix of views as to the extent that people liked their speakers to personalize or tailor their content. Some appreciated the improved user experience they felt this gave them, while others found it unsettling and disliked relinquishing too much control.

RELATED:

• Oppo Air Glass 2: Lightweight and Durable Smart Glasses with Enhanced Features
• Here’s how to watch the Oppo Find N2 series launch event
• Oppo Find N2 Flip’s Purple Variant Appears in Live Shot Before Launch
• Oppo A58x 5G Launched with 90Hz Display, Dimensity 700, 13MP Dual Cameras
• OPPO OHealth H1 announced with 6 built in health data monitoring features for the…

(source)

The post Smart Speaker Ownership Nearly Doubles During Pandemic appeared first on Gizmochina.

Samsung might be trying its hand in the smart speaker segment again, as rumors have surfaced of a device dubbed the Galaxy Home Mini 2 being in the works.

According to a report by SamMobile, sources reveal that Samsung is working on the second generation of the Galaxy Home Mini smart speaker, which carries model number SM-V320. The upcoming smart speaker may come with a display, making it more of a smart display than just a smart speaker. Other than that, no information about the rumored device is available right now.

This is not Samsung’s first rodeo when it comes to smart speakers, as Samsung has previously launched its first Galaxy Home smart speaker back in 2018 and followed it up with Galaxy Home Mini in February 2020. If you are wondering why you’ve never heard about these smart speakers before, that might be because Samsung never released these devices outside their home country of South Korea. The upcoming Galaxy Home Mini 2 is expected to meet the same fate as its predecessor when it comes to global availability, but it is far too early to say for sure.

The smart speaker segment is currently dominated by Amazon’s Alexa, Google‘s Nest speakers, and Apple’s HomePod range of speakers. We hope Samsung will soon step into the global smart speaker market, offering a little Bixby flavored variety.

RELATED:

• Samsung AI Speaker with 12.4-inch rollable display showcased at Korea Display Exhibition
• Report: Samsung to waterproof entry & mid range phones like Galaxy A33 in 2022
• Samsung launches three new chips to power next-generation automobiles

The post Samsung working on Galaxy Home Mini 2: Report appeared first on Gizmochina.

Smart displays are gaining popularity due to their ability to help you out in everyday activities. Google Nest Hub and Amazon Echo Show are popular across multiple markets and now Xiaomi wants to join the party with its own 8-inch smart display. The company officially teased its new Xiaomi Smart Display Pro 8 earlier today, giving us a glimpse of its design as well.

The new teaser confirms the speaker with a display-on-top design that we saw on the leaked box earlier today. So you get an 8-inch tablet mounted on top of a speaker unit. We can’t see the back of the device, but it looks like the speaker extends a bit at the back. Considering its name, the smart display is most likely going to be of 8-inches. We can see a front-facing camera too which confirms its ability to make and receive video calls.

According to the leaked box of the device, the Xiaomi Smart Display Pro 8 will come with high watt speakers with built-in bass boosters, DTS professional tuning, and a high-performance audio amplifier from Texas Instruments, providing high efficiency, low distortion, and advanced multi-band dynamic response control algorithm. It should also come with the company’s XiaoAI smart assistant.

The teaser doesn’t reveal any availability or pricing details for the device, but it is being said that the smart display will be sold for around 599 yuan ($86). We can expect more details in the coming days.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi Stock value on the rise after the launch of Redmi K30

The post Xiaomi’s Smart Display Pro 8 with Powerful Speakers officially teased appeared first on Gizmochina.

Huawei has officially confirmed that its new Huawei Sound X speakers will be announced on November 25, alongside the MatePad Pro flagship tablet. We knew about this upcoming smart speaker and its basic design, thanks to an earlier leak. However, Huawei confirms that the Sound X is co-engineered with Devialet, and that’s a big deal.

Devialet is a premium French high-end Hi-Fi audio equipment brand and its Devialet Phantom range of speakers, especially the Silver Phantom and Phantom Gold, has received extremely rave reviews for its sound quality and volume. So Huawei’s partnership with Devialet for its new smart speakers makes things a lot more exciting. It could be as significant as Leica was for its smartphone cameras.

Previously, a leaked manual revealed that the Sound X will be powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core processor featuring 512MB of RAM and 8GB of storage. There will be two 60W subwoofers and six 1.5W tweeters for a 360° 5.1 home theater surround sound experience. The Sound X connects via Bluetooth 5.0 to your phone and supports 2.4GHz and 5GHz WiFi networks.

The Sound X is a smart speaker. So you can control your lights, robot vacuum cleaner, and smart plugs using Huawei’s HiLink app. The speaker will reportedly come with six microphones that can pick up your voice from up to 5 meters away.

UP NEXT: Huawei Mate X screen replacement costs whooping 7,080 yuan ($1,007)

The post Huawei partners with Devialet for its new Sound X smart speaker, launches on Nov. 25 appeared first on Gizmochina.

Chinese web services giant Baidu held its world conference on November 16 in Beijing, China. The Baidu world conference was an occasion for the company to showcase some innovative and futuristic products that they have manufactured. During the conference, Baidu’s GM of Intelligent Hardware and founder of Raven Tech Jesse Cheng Lyu unveiled Baidu’s Raven series. The Raven series is made up of AI-powered hardware products that can hear, understand and fulfil customer’s needs, thus transforming the smart home experience using Baidu’s latest technologies.

One of the products is Baidu’s first smart speaker named Raven H and then two home robots that would be powered by DuerOS, the company’s conversational AI technology similar to Amazon’s Alexa or Microsoft’s Cortana. The two home robots are named Raven R and Raven Q. There are already more than 100 appliances ranging from smartphones to televisions, refrigerators and washing machines which use DuerOS as Baidu had earlier made the OS available to businesses and developers. However, the Raven series represents the first devices that would be showcasing Baidu’s AI services. DuerOS conversational AI is able to provide similar functionalities AI assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant can do, such as search the web, create reminders, perform transactions, control smart home devices, and play music. The company also revealed that all the Raven series products are integrated with Baidu’s AI technologies including facial recognition, computer vision, and even its Apollo autonomous driving technology.

The Raven H smart speaker and the two home robots were designed by Raven Tech and Teenage Engineering, a start-up Baidu acquired in February. The smart speaker has an LED display touch controller that is detachable from the device’s base. The touch controller can also be used within Wi-Fi range for voice control. Also, the Raven H’s touch controller can be used to control Raven series and smart home devices. It will go on sale next month and is priced around $256.

On the other hand, the Raven R is a home robot having an arm and LED display. The robot also has the ability to swivel and move to mimic expression and emotion. This could come in as a form of entertainment whenever you’re bored. You can watch how the Raven R dances from the video below.

Read Also: Lynky Is A Google Assistant Smart Home Hub With A Display

Baidu also unveiled a third product in the Raven series and it is a home robot named Raven Q. The robot will utilise DuerOS natural language processing and computer vision to construct a 3D model of its surroundings. Baidu is yet to reveal the prices and release dates for both the Raven R and Raven Q home robots. We’ll bring you more details when both the smart speakers and home robots go on sale.

(source

The post Baidu’s Raven H & R Smart Speaker & Robot Make Google Home & Amazon Echo Look Boring appeared first on Gizmochina.