Facebook may launch two smart speakers this July

The Amazon Echo Show.

• Facebook may launch two smart speakers this July, according to a recent report.
• The devices are expected to feature 15-inch displays and support video chat and social features.
• Facebook is also believed to have signed music licensing deals to enrich the devices.

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Facebook is set to launch two smart speakers this summer, according to a report from DigiTimes. The smart speakers, allegedly codenamed Aloha and Fiona, are tipped to arrive with 15-inch touchscreen displays and provide video chat and social features.

The Aloha model is expected to be the more expensive of the two products and may be sold under the name Portal. It's said to feature voice and facial recognition to identify users and would have a front-facing camera with a wide-angle lens. Facebook is also alleged to have partnered with Sony and Universal Music to include some kind of music functionality on the device, according to DigiTimes' sources.

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The speakers were apparently going to be launched in May but Facebook is said to have pushed back the timeline to July in order to improve the audio quality.

How much these devices would cost wasn't speculated upon, but the Amazon Echo Show—a smart speaker that comes with a 7-inch touchscreen display and supports video calls and music streaming—is priced at $230,

Though we're still in rumor territory without an announcement from Facebook, the isn't the first we've heard of such a device: it was speculated in July last year that Facebook was working on a smart speaker with a 15-inch display for Q1, 2018.

With the market for these products continuing to grow, and there being only two significant players in it currently (Google and Amazon), Facebook could see a good opportunity here to get deeper into the hardware game. These products would also befit the company's core business (a social media platform) and line-up with its greater push towards video.

Would you like to have a Facebook smart speaker in your home? Let us know in the comments.

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