The Xiaomi Smart Speaker IR Control is a new smart speaker with a compact size which seems to be launched on the international market shortly. And we say it seems because the device has appeared on Xiaomi’s global website by surprise.
This new speaker sports a somewhat different design than what we saw in the Xiaomi Mi Smart Speaker. It is quite compact, measuring 95x95x14 mm and weighing only 628 grams. It sports a matte black finish and looks metallic, with acoustic perforations on different sides of the speaker for sound to come out. But perhaps the most striking thing about the Xiaomi Smart Speaker IR Control is that it has a small LED screen that shows the time at all times. Fortunately, the brightness of the screen can be adjusted so that it does not bother you in a dark environment.
The addition of this screen makes the Xiaomi Smart Speaker IR Control ideal for use as an alarm clock. So much so that Xiaomi has incorporated the possibility of configuring different songs, singers or genres as alarm clock musiceven rotating within a playlist.
Xiaomi Smart Speaker IR Control, compatible with Google Assistant
The Xiaomi Smart Speaker IR Control is equipped with a 1.5-inch speaker oriented so sound projects 360 degrees. In this way the speaker creates a perfectly balanced sound field to deliver good sound from all angles.
In terms of connectivity, it has Dual-band 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, and Chromecast built-in. It also equips two microphones to achieve better recognition of voice commands. And it is that the Xiaomi Smart Speaker IR Control integrates the Google Assistant, so we can manage it through voice commands.
A curious function that Xiaomi has incorporated in this small speaker is the infrared control. The built-in infrared transmitter module, combined with the Google Assistant, will allow us to voice control some compatible devices, thus allowing us to make some conventional devices “smart”. Some of the equipment compatible with this function are the Epson EMP-1710 and HITACHI HCP-810X projectors, the KFR-50GW/N1A air conditioner and the Mi LED TV 4S 65″, the Mi TV P1 50″ and the LED lights Panasonic HHXZ4034.
Another interesting function that the Xiaomi Smart Speaker IR Control includes is the possibility of using two equal loudspeakers to form a stereo system. On the other hand, the Xiaomi platform also allows us to connect several smart speakers that we have at home to perform synchronized playback throughout the house. It’s even possible to make hands-free calls using the Google Duo service.
And if for any of those we are using a device that is not compatible with Google Chromecast, there is no problem, since Xiaomi’s new speaker also has Bluetooth. This type of connectivity will allow us to transmit directly from the mobile or tablet.
At the moment Xiaomi has not announced the price that the Xiaomi Smart Speaker IR Control in the European market, but it is to be hoped that it will not be an excessively expensive device. In fact, it is very likely that this speaker will come directly to compete against devices like the Amazon Echo Dot or the Google Nest Mini. The official release date has not been revealed either, but if it already appears on the website it should not take too long to be available. We will keep you informed.
