Google Home and Home Mini make their long-awaited debut in India, and there’s a lot to et excited about.
At a media event in New Delhi, Google launched the Google Home and Google Home Mini for the Indian subcontinent. The Google Home will be available for ₹9,999, with the smaller Google Home Mini set to debut at ₹4,499.
The launch is a significant one for Google, as India is a market fraught with unique challenges. There are a gazillion local languages, and even though English is the default second language for most parts of the country, the sheer variety of dialects creates several problems when coming up with a one-size-fits-all virtual assistant.
Google Home comes with a whole host of features — you’ll be able to set reminders, hear the latest news, control your smart home gear, get weather and travel updates, listen to tunes on Gaana, Saavn, Play Music, and so much more. You can ask also Google Assistant to give you a rundown of your day’s schedule.
Google Home seamlessly integrates with all of Google’s services.
As for the device itself, the Google Home looks less like a tech product and more like decor. If anything, it looks like an air freshener. It has a fabric base, and four LEDs up top whenever Assistant is activated. It also has controls at the top for music playback and adjusting the volume.
I’ve been using the Google Home for over a year and a half now, and I’m still discovering new features to this day. It’s astonishing how well the product integrates with Google’s services — if you’re tied into the Google ecosystem, the Google Home has plenty to offer.
I’m particularly interested in the fact that the speaker is now officially available in India, as it paves the way for integrations with a flurry of local services. There are a few features that are not debuting at launch — like hands-free calling — but Google says it will be making its way to the device shortly.
And on the subject of features, Google will roll out Hindi compatibility sometime later this year. Google Assistant in Hindi rolled out officially a few weeks ago, and it’ll be heading to the Google Home and Home Mini at a later date.
The Google Home and Home Mini will be exclusive to Flipkart, with sales kicking off from later today. You’ll be able to pick up the Google Home for ₹9,999, and the Home Mini for ₹4,499.
I was looking forward to seeing the Google Home Max, but Google says that its oversized speaker isn’t launching in the market just yet. Google sells metal bases for the Google Home in the U.S., but they’re not coming to India either.
Who’s picking up a Google Home or Home Mini?
See at Flipkart
