14 DAY TRIAL // Smart speakers appear to be the next big thing in tech, and while several tech giants have already launched their own products, Microsoft has until now relied solely on its partner ecosystem in this regard.
But Microsoft’s plans have changed, according to a new report from German site WinFuture, and now the software company wants to build its very own smart speaker powered by Cortana and Windows 10 IoT.
The idea is still in its early days, but if this happens, Microsoft would finally have a worthy rival to Apple’s HomePod. Until now, the only Cortana-powered speaker on the market was the Harman Kardon Invoke, but the success of this device has been limited, to say the least, and it’s pretty clear that Microsoft wants to take the matter into its all hands to address this problem.
Powered by Snapdragon 212 chip
The cited source says Microsoft is working with Quanta on this new project, but again, the project is still in its early phase and a lot could change until it gets the go-ahead for mass production.
But on the other hand, it seems that the new Microsoft smart speaker is very likely to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 212 processor, originally designed for smartphones but then tweaked to support IoT devices as well.
As for a potential release date of this new speaker, very little is known at this point, but a more realistic estimate would probably be the fall of 2019. Since work on this project has only recently started, there’s basically no chance to see it going live this year.
The smart speaker could be included in the Surface device lineup and be developed under the leadership of Panos Panay. But of course, everything can change overnight, including the fate of the product entirely, so don’t be too surprised if Microsoft eventually gives up on it.