Leaks give detailed preview of Samsung's new smart speaker, the Galaxy Home Mini ahead of release

With a mere 24 hours before Samsung’s Unpacked event, leaks of some of its soon-to-be-announced products are still rolling in.

In a tweet sent out just three days before Samsung’s major product event, Max Weinbach of XDA Developers, who has leaked several other major details about Samsung’s forthcoming products, showed off real glimpses of the company’s new smart speaker, the Galaxy Home Mini.

A video of the smart speaker in action and corresponding literature for the Galaxy Home Mini offer insight into just what the product will do.

According to images posted by Weinbach, among the capabilities will be the usual list of voice-activated queries like ‘what’s the weather?’ or ‘play Jazz music’ in addition to a range of smart home controls.

The sheet leaked by Weinbach also suggests that users will be able to summon Samsung’s voice-assistant Bixby to change smart thermostats, turn devices off or on, or with applicable hardware, even change the channel on a TV.

As noted by The Verge, the Galaxy Home Mini will utilize what’s known as the infrared blaster function to control devices that aren’t actually connected to the internet.

The feature takes the place of a remote by using infrared signals to mimic commands traditionally sent be a dedicated control and can reportedly work with devices that are within 40 feet of the speaker.

While the literature doesn’t give a solid price for the speaker, a press release that was accidentally leaked to Samsung’s website suggested it will be released in South Korea on February 12 and will cost $83.

The release, leaked on Samsung’s site earlier this month, was captured and translated by Android Police and also described various details of the company’s next smart speaker installment.

The new speaker will have the usual functions of a smart speaker, using Samsung’s voice assistant, Bixby to set alarms, play music, and ask about the weather. It will also use infrared technology to speak with nearby electronics that typically require a remote control

‘Galaxy Home Mini’ can freely control various devices through voice commands through Bixby. Two microphones are built in to support speech recognition over long distances,’ stated the release.

‘Galaxy Home Mini’ allows you to make, receive and send messages with just your voice without connecting your smartphone. When connected with an external sensor, it detects emergency situations such as fire, smoke and leaks and provides notifications quickly. It also tells you if your appliance is working or when it needs to be replaced.

Samsung also says that its Galaxy Home Mini will be equipped with 5W speakers, and 360-degree surround sound. 

While the device has been kept somewhat under wraps for now, it will likely be revealed at a major event from the tech giant next week.

In that event, Samsung is expected to release its next flagship phone, the Galaxy S20 and S20 Plus.

Samsung’s Galaxy S20 Plus was leaked in images well in advance of the device’s actual unveiling and has been one of many Samsung-related leaks

According to leaks from XDA Developers the S20 Plus – which is the larger version of Samsung’s flagship phones that are slated to be released in February – will definitively have a high-end 120 HZ display which had previously only been rumored.

The 120 HZ display will offer a high refresh rate but will only work with the phone’s standard resolution as opposed to the WQHD – quad high – setting that clocks in at 1440p as opposed to 1080p.

Additionally, XDA says that the phone will come with a traditional headphone jack and as well as an in-display ‘ultrasonic’ fingerprint scanner.

The latter feature marks a significant confirmation as Samsung has attempted to include in-display fingerprint-reading technology in the past to notably mixed results.