Samsung announces Galaxy Home Mini beta ahead of the release of full-size speakers

Samsung has quietly announced a new Bixby smart slightly called Galaxy Home Mini and invited Korean Galaxy smartphone users to sign up to test the new device. Samsung said the new speakers can control IoT devices, integrate with Samsung's Smart IoT platform, and feature sound technology provided by Samsung's AKG audio brand. SamMobile was the first to discover this message.

This is the first time Samsung has officially acknowledged the existence of its smaller smart speaker, and although we had a good idea, it has arrived thanks to its appearance in a filing with the Federal Communications Commission earlier this year. Apart from some details Samsung shared in the beta announcement, we know little about the new device. For example, we're not even sure if the speakers are battery powered. Presumably, we'll find out when Samsung decides to officially announce a spokesperson, although it's unclear whether that's before or after testers get it.

It's also worth noting that Samsung's statement doesn't seem to mention the original Galaxy Home smart slightly announced last year with the Note 9. Samsung's full size smart speakers have faced persistent delays since their launch. The company had originally planned to launch in the first half of this year but delayed the speakers until the third quarter of this year, recently saying it was working to "improve and upgrade" them before launch.