At IFA 2018, Google is adding multilingual support, so that the Assistant will be able to understand and speak more than one language at a time. Additionally, Google will be introducing new phones and a broad range of devices and appliances for the home that support the Assistant from their growing ecosystem of partners in Europe.
Family members in bilingual homes often switch back and forth between languages, and now the Assistant can keep up. With Google’s advancement in speech recognition, you can now speak two languages interchangeably with the Assistant on smart speakers and phones and the Assistant will respond in kind. This is a first-of-its-kind feature only available on the Assistant and is part of Google’s multi-year effort to make your conversations with the Assistant more natural.
If you’re looking for an answer in English, ask, “Hey Google, what’s the weather like today?” If you’re craving tunes from your favourite German hip-hop band, just ask “Hey Google, Spiele die Fantastischen Vier.” Currently, the Assistant can understand any pair of languages within English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Japanese. Google will be expanding to more languages in the coming months.
Enjoying home entertainment
Listening to music is one of the most popular ways people use the Assistant. That’s why Google has built the Google Home Max to offer high-fidelity and balanced sound and now it's available in Germany, UK and France—Google Home Max will hit store shelves starting today.
This week, Google is also announcing that the Assistant will be built into new voice-activated speakers, including the Bang & Olufsen’s Beosound 1 and Beosound 2, Blaupunkt’s PVA 100, Harman Kardon’s HK Citation series, Kygo’s Speaker B9-800, Polaroid’s Sam and Buddy and Marshall Acton II and Stanmore II. Expect these smart speakers and soundbars to roll out later this year in local European markets.
Getting things done in the kitchen
On the heels of introducing Google’s first-ever Smart Displays last month with Lenovo, the brand is expanding their offerings with the upcoming launch of JBL’s Link View and LG XBOOM AI ThinQ WK9 in the coming weeks. With these new Smart Displays, you’ll have the perfect kitchen companion. You can use your voice and tap or swipe the screen to follow along with a recipe, control your smart home, watch live TV on YouTube TV, and make video calls with Google Duo. Smart Displays also come integrated with all your favourite Google products services like Google Calendar, Google Maps, Google Photos and YouTube.
Controlling all connected devices in your home
The Assistant is also making your home even smarter. Just in the past year, there are now triple the number of home devices and appliances that work with the Assistant in Europe from all the major local brands you’re familiar with.
Google’s partners will be releasing more devices that work with the Assistant throughout the home in the coming months, including:
- Thermostats: tado° Smart Thermostat and Smart Radiator Thermostat, Homematic IP Radiator Thermostate
- Security and Smart Home Hubs: Netatmo’s Smart Indoor and Outdoor Security Cameras, TP-Link’s Kasa Cam KC120 and Kasa Cam Outdoor KC200, Smanos K1 SmartHome DIY Security Kit, and Somfy’ TaHoma smart home hub
- Lighting: FIBARO Switch, MEDION RGB LED bulb and stripe, and the Nanoleaf Light Panels
- Appliances: Electrolux’s smart ovens, iRobot Roomba 980, 896 and 676 vacuums
Whether you speak German, French, English, Italian, Spanish, you’ll be able to set the temperature, lock the doors, dim the lights and more from a smart speaker and smartphone.
On the go with your phone and headphones
The Google Assistant is expanding on more Android phones and headphones, helping you when you're on the go. Some of the latest flagship devices, including the LG G7 One, SHARP Simple Smartphone 4 and Vivo NEX S, now feature dedicated buttons to easily access the Assistant. In addition, the new Xperia XZ3 from Sony and Blackberry Key 2 LE also take advantage of the shortcuts to trigger the Assistant.
And this week, Google will be announcing that over the coming year, more headphones are on the way, including the JBL Everest GA, Sony WH-1000XM3 and LG Tone Platinum, and Earin M-2. When you pair them to your phone, you can talk to the Assistant instantly with just a touch, whether you want to skip a track to hear the next song, get notifications, and respond to your messages, or set reminders.
