After first showcasing its project during CES 2017 in January, earlier this week Canadian startup SproutBox Design launched the AIVIA smart speaker on Kickstarter, where the project currently has a goal of CA$25,000. The AIVIA smart speaker is described as the world’s smartest speaker with a built-in subwoofer, and not only that but the speaker box includes wireless charging capabilities for smartphones as well as an 8-inch touchscreen.
The product is backed by the Google Assistant and as such, it should work similarly to Google Home, in that future users will not be limited to interacting with the device using only the display and will have the ability to issue voice commands. But aside from the inclusion of the Google Assistant, AIVIA seemingly represents a much more different take on the smart speaker concept as it apparently places greater emphasis on music playback quality. The device is equipped with two side speakers as well as a subwoofer underneath to provide 40W of output, and the Canadian startup claims that the speaker cones have been developed by the same engineers who have previously designed speakers for Bang & Olufsen. Actually, the Kickstarter page mentions Bang & “Olufson” on several occasions but presumably that is merely a typo.
As far as other specifications are concerned, the device also features an 8-megapixel front facing camera, a 10,000mAh battery that should provide 5 hours of audio playback or up to 10 hours of standby – claims the manufacturer – as well as two USB 2.0 ports coupled with one AUX input. The smart speaker runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box, though the OS might be covered by a proprietary user interface, and the entire package weighs 2 lbs. or a little under one kilogram. The manufacturer also claims that the smart speaker comes with its own storage unit but an exact capacity hasn’t been specified. At the time of this writing, the AIVIA smart speaker amassed CA$24,130 in pledges from the CA$25,000 goal on Kickstarter, and the project has 42 more days to go. Prospective backers who may want to reserve a unit can pledge a minimum of CA$299, and the product has an estimated delivery date set for July 2019. Refer to the Kickstarter banner below for more details.
