Tucked away amid the recent Chromebook announcements was something intriguing: The announcement of a new Google Assistant smart speaker from Acer. The Halo Smart Speaker is designed to provide impressive sound quality with practicality thanks to an LED clock on the side of the device. You can see the time, temperature, and current weather conditions at a glance.
There is an app currently under development with an estimated release in December that will allow you to personalize the display with a message or an image of your choice.
The Halo Smart Speaker is designed to fit in with almost any home décor. It has a modern design, but the stylish RGB base displays multiple colors that open up the design options even more. You can choose to sync the lights and the music or just choose a color that suits your mood or the time of day. The Halo Smart Speaker has a compact design that makes it just at home on a cluttered countertop as it is on a small end table.
The Halo Smart Speaker is one of the first Google Assistant devices with DTS (Digital Theater System) Sound. When you ask it to play music, it projects sound in 360-degrees around the room to fill the entire space — something that the Google Nest Audio is known to do as well. Although specific details regarding the type of speakers have not been provided, the Halo Smart Speaker is said to provide “high-quality” audio. You can potentially expect a smart speaker with a higher focus on audio quality, similar to the way the new Nest Audio speaker performs.
There are two built-in omnidirectional microphones that distinguish between ambient sound and music and your own voice. The Halo Smart Speaker will be able to react quickly to commands you give it. If you want to ensure total privacy, there is a physical switch that will turn off the microphones.
The Halo Smart Speaker has an estimated release date sometime in the first quarter of 2021, starting at $109. Google Assistant is one of the most widely supported smart assistants on third-party devices, with representation on Lenovo devices and numerous other devices. The addition of an Acer smart speaker is not surprising, but the Halo Smart Speaker looks like a welcome addition to the lineup.
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