Xiaomi unveils smart speaker with touch screen

Xiaomi has announced that it is working on the Xiao Ai Touchscreen Speaker Box. It is a smart speaker with a touch screen, with which the Chinese manufacturer wants to compete with devices such as the Google Home Hub and the Echo Show from Amazon.

The Xiao Ai Touchscreen Speaker Box is a smart home hub with a 4” touchscreen. In addition to being a smart speaker, the gadget can be used to control other Xiaomi devices such as air conditioning systems, purifiers, smart lighting, cameras and the Zero Smart Doorbell, which the company recently announced.

The device can also be controlled by voice. However, it is not yet clear which operating system drives the Xiao Ai Touchscreen Speaker Box and therefore not which voice assistant the device has on board. According to Engadget, the touchscreen also functions as a modern clock radio, which can wake the user with music and videos. The device would also offer a choice of different ‘dials’ that the user can adjust to his own taste.

The Xiao Ai Touchscreen Speaker Box will not be released on the market for the time being. An open beta will start on February 28. It is not inconceivable that the device will be released in China first. Xiaomi has not yet announced anything about the availability in the rest of the world.