Google"s developer-focused event, Google I/O, doesn"t start until tomorrow, but we"re already getting a peek at what the tech giant might be showing off at the event. In a partnership with JBL, the company has revealed the JBL Link Bar, a smart sound bar that blends together Android TV and Google Assistant.
The Link Bar will connect to a TV via HDMI, and the TV experience will be powered by Android TV, offering apps such as Netflix and YouTube on the big screen, but it takes things one step further by integrating Google Assistant support. This will enable users to control their smart home devices and access all the services available through the digital assistant. What"s especially appealing about this is that Google Assistant works independently from the Android TV side of the device, so users can stream music, dim the lights, and more by talking to the sound bar without having to turn on the TV.
The announcement video states that the combination of Android TV and Google Assistant is arriving "first" on the JBL Link Bar, which makes it seem like more devices in this category are on the way. We may see more of them, as well as more information on the Link Bar, starting tomorrow at Google I/O.
Google recently also announced that Google Assistant was getting more powerful on Wear OS devices, and it looks like the company is set to expand the reach of its digital assistant as far as possible in an attempt to fight Alexa, Amazon"s digital assistant which is getting some help from Microsoft"s Cortana soon.
Source: Google (YouTube) via TechRadar