MobileTechTalk Everybody is getting in on the “digital assistant” game nowadays aren’t they? We have no-name brands throwing speakers out with Alexa or Google Assistant in tow left and right. That was precisely what I thought we were getting when Huawei showed off their AI Cube.
So what’s different about the Huawei AI Cube then? Well, firstly it’s far from an Amazon Echo. This is a router first and foremost. It has a 4G LTE 300Mbps capable modem, along with WiFi 802.11 AC built-in for starters.
There are more conventional staples of a “home assistant” device, such as an integrated sound system. The one included here has a large 400ml sound chamber and an aluminium diaphragm, to give a great sound stage to the music that is played through it for enhanced immersion. This music is then enhanced using Huawei’s Histen technology to further post-process.
There’s an ethernet port, SIM card slot for the 4G LTE SIM, as well as volume and mute keys placed at the base and top edges of the product respectively.
Then of course, there’s the famous female herself – Alexa. Huawei baked in Amazon Alexa but were very coy on whether or not they would look at alternative digital assistants moving forward, but simply stating that they could.
Having Amazon Alexa built into the device gives Huawei’s AI Cube access to over 50,000 skills, and activities with many more always just around the corner.
Utilising far field voice recognition, you can enable Huawei AI Cube from a distance, as the microphones are sure to pickup your voice. During our brief hands on in an incredibly noisy environment, Alexa did struggle. We expect this to be ironed out shortly however.
No word yet in pricing or availability but expect more in the next month.
