Facebook is currently developing a smart speaker with which it wants to compete with HomePod, the one that the company Apple Lossless Audio CODEC (ALAC), he announced it in June. Facebook has been developing this smart speaker for several months, the project being led by a former director of a government agency specialized in the development of revolutionary technologies for the US.
Facebook thought of this smart speaker as a competitor for the HomePod, but separately it also has a competing device with the new Amazon Echo Show, which is capable of including video calls for customers. HomePod will not be able to offer such functions, but those from Facebook have thought of developing two separate products to allow making video calls through the Messenger platform, but also listening to music
Facebook designed the device for video calls to work with Google's Android operating system, so it will have some functions already available in it. The Facebook device will also have a 13-15-inch diagonal screen, which will be touch-sensitive to allow interaction with the functions offered by the company, including those for making video calls.
Facebook – smart speaker competing with Apple
Facebook thought the product with a wide-angle camera and microphones, to be able to pick up the words spoken by the users, but maybe also some voice commands for a personal assistant. For now, it is not known what the price of this product will be, but Facebook would intend to sell it at prices of approximately several hundred dollars, most likely close to those of similar products on the market.
Facebook will put a lot of emphasis on artificial intelligence in this device, one of the functions allowing to scan the room where the product is located, to discover the people in it. Separately from the device for making video calls, Facebook is also developing a HomePod competing smart speaker, but it is not known to what extent it will be launched on the market, due to the still low interest in such products.
"Facebook Inc. is working on a video chat device for the home — the first major hardware product from its experimental Building 8 lab. The social media giant is working on at least one other product — a standalone smart speaker that would compete with the Amazon Echo and Google Home.
Facebook is trying to create more and more products similar to the popular ones available on global markets, including a modular smartphone. Smart speakers and video calling devices are not in the category of products that are in high demand, but those at Facebook think that they could make people interested in buying them, although a smartphone and a tablet fulfill this function without problems.
Facebook invests billions of dollars in various projects, separate from its social network, so we will learn more about them in the future.
