The Amazon Echo is a desktop-speaker-cum-voice-assistant created by the e-commerce giant in 2014. Google in the meanwhile launched its own smart speaker dubbed Google Home this year. At the moment, neither products are available in China, which according to a report will be a $22.8 billion market for smart homes by 2018. That is why a Chinese company has come up with a product called ‘DingDong’ - a $118 (roughly Rs. 8,100) smart speaker operable by voice. To compare, the Amazon Echo costs a lot more at $179, while the Google Home is priced closely at $129 (however both products were substantially discounted during the holiday season in the US).
The product has a cylindrical appearance similar to the Amazon Echo. The device is available in two versions - Mandarin and Cantonese, and can be used to check the weather, set alarms, control the lights and locks of the house, or maintain a shopping list, according to Wired. The makers of this product, Beijing LingLong, is a $25 million joint venture between JD.com, which is China’s largest online retailer, and popular voice recognition company called iFlyTek.
The speaker weighs about 1.36 kilograms and is about 10 inches tall. You can take a peek at the LingLong DingDong in action, as part of a Wired documentary. The people behind it claim that although they were working on this product before Amazon Echo’s arrival, it did inspire them in overall outcome of the DingDong. The Echo’s two year lead has given it widespread support from 3rd party developers - something that Google and others like the DingDong will need to win, to make their products true smart assistants.
The world is also waiting to see Apple making its entry into the smart speaker category; as it was strongly rumoured some time back.
(Also See: Five Great Ideas Apple 'Borrowed' and Made Wildly Popular)
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