Google's new smart speaker will be coming to the UK this year

9 months ago

Google has revealed their Amazon Echo-rivalling smart speaker, Google Home, will come to the UK later this year.

The technology giant launched the voice-activated device in the US in October but is yet to extend its release outside the country.

However, the company has now confirmed Home will go on sale in the UK during the “second quarter” of 2017, meaning it will be released before the end of June.

Like Amazon Echo, which arrived in the UK last year, Google Home is an artificially intelligent speaker that responds to voice commands and can answer queries as well as control other internet-enabled appliances around the home.

Both devices use search engines to answer questions – Amazon Echo relies on Microsoft’s Bing search engine and Wikipedia, while Google Home uses the company’s own Google Search.

Google’s Assistant software is also able to answer follow-up questions on the same topic in a near-conversation style but Echo as yet can not.

However, Amazon’s Alexa software has a wider range of skills on offer, enabling it to link up with and control more third-party devices around the home.

Google is yet to announce the official date or UK price for Home.