Samsung is making a Bixby smart speaker

Samsung is making a wireless smart speaker for the home. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, the speaker will feature Samsung's Bixby personal assistant and will work as the hub of your smart home - much like Google Home or Apple HomePod.

The device is reportedly codenamed Vega. While it will incorporate Bixby, according to the Journal's sources many of its other features are yet to be decided. Presumably it will answer your spoken queries, and play songs when you request them verbally, just like Google Home, Apple HomePod and Amazon Echo. But until we have more information, there's no way of knowing.

The final specs are also yet to be confirmed.

The device has reportedly been in development for more than a year, but has been held up by delays to the development of Bixby itself. The digital butler was supposed to launch on Samsung's Galaxy S8, but it's still not available outside Samsung's native South Korea.

(The issue is Samsung doesn't have enough data, a spokesperson told The Korea Herald recently.)

The idea of a smart home enabled by the internet of things has so far remained an elusive dream. But the recent spate of smart speakers hints that we're on the verge of connected homes going mainstream.

MORE:

25 Amazon Echo tips, tricks and features

Amazon Echo vs Google Home - which is better?

Bose SoundLink Revolve hands on

Apple unveiles HomePod, its smart wireless speaker

You can now pair your Amazon Echo with your Bluetooth speakers

21 Google Home tips, tricks and features