Xiaomi has been selling smart speakers powered by its own XiaoAI voice assistant for its Chinese customers. The company now announced the all-new Mi Smart Speaker in India. It is also the first-ever smart speaker from Xiaomi to launch outside of China.
The Mi Smart Speaker comes powered by Google Assistant and features two far-field microphones. In India, it will be sold at a special introductory price of INR 3,499 (approx. $49). The speaker comes only in a matte-stone black finish and will go on sale starting October 1.
First Google Assistant-enabled speaker from Xiaomi launched in India
It comes with Chromecast built-in for streaming audio while watching TV. Users can also pair two of these speakers for a true stereo sound experience. Furthermore, it can also be used for creating a multi-room setup. The speaker sports a 12W front-facing speaker with DTS-tuned sound for a richer audio experience.
Though the speaker comes with an affordable price tag, the company has opted to use a metal casing. Apart from flaunting a sturdy build, the metal casing also gives a premium look to the speaker. There are also touch-sensitive buttons on the top for volume up, volume down, play/pause, and microphone on/off.
Unlike other smart speakers available in the country, there is no physical microphone mute switch. The light ring on the top comes with the “Music Lighting” effect. On the connectivity front, the Mi Smart Speaker supports dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz and 5GHz) and Bluetooth 4.2.
No information regarding the availability in other markets
As seen with most other smart speakers, this also comes with a DC power supply port on the rear. When paired with the Google Home app, the Mi Smart Speaker can be used for controlling all the smart home devices supported by Google. The list will also include several IoT devices launched by Xiaomi in the past.
The company already offers voice control-enabled remote with its smart TVs. Now, the Mi Smart Speaker can also be used for controlling the Mi smart TVs or any other smart TV running on Android TV OS.
In India, Google offers support for both English and Hindi languages for accessing the Google Assistant through its smart speakers. Apart from the Mi Smart Speaker, the company also launched the Mi Watch Revolve, Mi Smart Band 5, Mi Automatic Soap Dispenser, Mi Athleisure Shoes, and Mi Smart LED Bulb White.
Currently, the Mi Smart Band 5 (a.k.a Mi Band 5) is the only product from this list that is on sale in other markets. As of now, there is no information from Xiaomi about the launch of these products in the Western markets. Stay tuned!