Huawei has announced their brand new AI Cube at IFA 2018, and the most obvious thing about it is that it isn't a cube. No, seriously. The cylindrical smart speaker is called the AI Cube. I don't get it, either.
Okay, so maybe they're just bad at naming things, but Huawei has still managed to craft what looks to be an excellent product in an admittedly crowded space.
Huawei has opted to use Alexa as the voice assistant in its AI Cube instead of Google Assistant, which might be a downside for some users. However, it does guarantee some pretty broad compatibility with other smart and connected devices, which makes sense and doesn't make Huawei too dependent on Google.
To better compete with the Google Home and other smart speakers, Huawei has actually baked a 4G router into the, uh, “cube.” You'll be able to use this thing as the backbone of your home network, assuming it can actually handle the plethora of devices you'll no doubt be connecting to it.
Aside from that, Huawei promises excellent sound quality with its Histen tech and speakers, which should do high-quality, 360 degree surround audio. The price will most likely make or break the speaker's sound quality, especially if Huawei charges a premium and steps into HomePod territory.
The AI Cube will go on sale in Europe by Christmas at undisclosed price point. If you're interested, keep an ear out for more details from Huawei over the next few months, and in the meantime you can keep up with everything else happening at IFA this year with our full coverage.
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