Google today introduced its range of smart speakers in India with support for English (India) and a few local services. Only the Google Home and Home Mini have been launched in the country, while there is no word on the Home Max. For now, they support only English (India), but support for Hindi should be out soon. The smaller Google Home Mini is available in Charcoal and Chalk color options with Coral to be added later this year, while the Home is available in Chalk. The two have been priced at Rs. 4,499 ($69) and Rs. 9,999 ($154) respectively and they are already on sale starting April 10, 2 PM IST.
The Google Assistant-powered intelligent speakers will be available across prominent online and offline stores in the country bundled with a range of launch offers. Both the devices will be exclusive to Flipkart for their online availability that is bundling a JioFi portable 4G router with each purchase along with premium subscriptions to some local music services for up to 18 months. Reliance Digital stores are offering additional 4G data benefits with the JioFi routers, while certain Philips Hue and Croma stores are offering a special bundled price with the Home Mini. ACT Fibernet users can get a free Home Mini when subscribed to a 12-month advance rental plan, while an additional 10 percent cashback will be offered to HDFC bank credit card users. Google is also tossing in a complimentary 6-month subscription to Google Play Music for all Home buyers in the country.
To provide the users with more local content, Google has partnered with Saavn and Gaana, two of the popular music streaming services in the South Asian country, while voice commands for Netflix and YouTube have also been enabled. The Home devices can read aloud news from Indian media outlets including Times of India, NDTV, Dainik Bhaskar, India Today, and Aaj Tak among others. Smart home devices from major brands like Philips Hue, TP-Link, and D-Link will be readily supported with hundreds more in the pipeline. Google has confirmed to roll out more localized features to Home devices in the coming weeks as more third-party apps and service come on board. Google Assistant on Android phones has for long supported English (India) and it recently started understanding Hindi, giving it an edge over other AIs with its better understanding of local dialects and varied Indian accents.