Samsung has officially announced the beta programme for the Galaxy Home Mini, almost a year after the Galaxy Home smart speaker was first announced.
The programme opened yesterday and South Korean Samsung fans have until September 1st to apply to test out the new smart home device, though they will need to have the latest version of the Samsung Members app and a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, according to TizenHelp.
Lucky beta volunteers will be given a Galaxy Home Mini to take home and play with before Samsung finally launches the smart speaker.
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The Home Mini’s compact round design isn’t anything new and it wouldn’t look out of place next to the Amazon Echo Dot or the Google Home Mini. It will, however, be one of the first smart speakers to feature Samsung’s own Bixby voice assistant. The speaker is expected to connect via Bluetooth 4.2 and will include a Micro USB port rather than the more typical USB-C. It also features some additional touch controls on the top for if you don’t feel like chatting with Bixby that day.
It isn’t clear whether Samsung will be recruiting beta testers in the UK or the US but if it does, it won’t be long before it starts searching for applicants. The Galaxy Home Mini passed through the FCC in May and the larger Galaxy Home is expecting a release in the third quarter of 2019 so we shouldn’t have to wait long until we see Samsung’s first smart speakers.
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The bigger speaker was originally planned for release in April but Samsung decided to push the date back to further “refine and enhance” the Galaxy Home earlier this month so, unfortunately, there is no set release date as of right now.
If you’re a Samsung Galaxy owner interested in joining the South Korean beta testing programme, you can register on Samsung’s website now.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
