Skip to main content

Look out, Amazon. Alibaba now has an entry in the smart speaker race, too

It’s not just Google and Apple that Amazon need to be concerned about when it comes to competition for its smart home speaker, the Echo — now, Alibaba has entered the ring, too. The Chinese e-commerce giant launched a new device on Wednesday, July 5 called the Tianmao Jingling X1. Simply put, it’s an Echo for Chinese users, and for now, it’s available exclusively in China and speaks only Mandarin.

In some ways, it’s surprising that it took Alibaba this long to jump on the bandwagon. The Echo first made its debut nearly three years ago in November 2014, and since then, a number of similar devices have made their way onto the scene. There’s the Google Home from Alphabet’s Google, the Microsoft Cortana-powered speaker called the Invoke, and the upcoming HomePod from Apple. Indeed, EMarketer projects that almost 36 million Americans will interact with a smart speaker once a month in 2017, an increase of nearly 130 percent over last year.

Recommended Videos

Alibaba, in fact, is not even the first Chinese company to begin toying with smart speakers. Baidu has created the Xiaoyu Zaijia, and JD.com has LingLong DingDong. But what sets Alibaba’s X1 apart? According to a CNBC report, it’s all about the artificial intelligence, data, and built-in ecommerce capabilities. As an Alibaba executive noted in a press conference in Beijing, the X1 already boasts “hundreds of skills” in music, entertainment, online shopping, fitness, and education.

Like similar products, the speaker requires a voice trigger, which in this case is “Tmall Genie” in Chinese. It comes in black and white, and during a streamed demonstration on Wednesday, the X1 was asked to buy and deliver Coca Cola, play music, add credit to a phone, and activate a smart humidifier and TV.

Alibaba’s smart home hub will be quite affordable, at least for the first 1,000 people who get their hands on the new technology. The X1 will sell for about $73 during a one-month trial period. It’s unclear how much it will set the remaining eager buyers back once they discover its full potential.

You can sign up here to buy the device, and the first X1s are set to ship on July 17.

Lulu Chang
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Tineco’s docking vacuum has a special Prime Day price, but you can get it cheaper
A Tineco Pure One next to its charging base.

Vacuums feel like they're getting more and more expensive, and not just robot vacuum and mop combos, but ordinary hand vacs. You can go to Walmart and see bagged, corded vacuums that cost hundreds of dollars. It doesn't have to be that way. Tineco's Pure One vacuum brings power and convenience for the same price that other vacuums have, but with new features instead of going backwards into the world of cords and bags. Usually $459, it is down to $319 for Prime Day (that's a savings of $140 already) and we're happy to report you can get an extra 5% off with the code TIN25PDPR on Amazon. Tap the button below to see the vacuum yourself and snag this great deal, or keep reading for what makes this vacuum truly unique.

BUY NOW

Read more
This AI mower finally got a discount — grab it before it’s gone
m800 doing work on the lawn

If you’ve been holding off on getting a robot mower because you can’t stand the idea of burying boundary wires or babysitting your lawn from a clunky app, Prime Day is delivering for you once again. The Yardcare M800 Plus is one of the most intelligent, user-friendly smart mowers you can buy and now it's on sale. Pick-up the M800 Plus for $719.99, a savings of $180 (regular price $899.99).

A smarter way to mow

Read more
This Beatbot robotic pool cleaner gets all the leaves — 47% off for Prime Day
The Beatbot iSkim Ultra in the swimming pool.

Are you growing tired of gathering the leaves that are floating around in your swimming pool? Then you shouldn't miss this chance to get the Beatbot iSkim Ultra with a huge discount from Amazon's Prime Day. From $1,499 originally, it's on sale at 47% off for a lowered price of only $799. That $700 in savings are among the largest that you can get from the offers for Beatbot robotic pool cleaners during the shopping event -- act now and complete your purchase immediately to make sure that you get this device at nearly half-price.

BUY NOW

Read more