Kakao takes its leap into the smart speaker market

Kakao on 5 September 2017 unveiled its smart speaker, Kakao Mini, which will officially hit shelves by the end of September this year.

Kakao, which operates the country’s most popular messaging app Kakao Talk, said the Kakao Mini will work on its artificial intelligence platform called Kakao I. It can be controlled by voice commands.

The Kakao Mini has a square design with fabric on the sides, which has a minimalist, familiar design that can fit well with the surroundings in small sizes.There are four buttons at the top that let users adjust the volume and turn the microphone on and off.

The Kakao Friends figure, which is released together, has a magnet and can be easily attached to the top of the Kakao Mini. The figures are provided to the initial purchaser on a first come, first served basis.

The Kakao Mini is equipped with four high-end microphones to accurately capture users’ speech. As the device can connect to other speakers via Bluetooth, users can utilize features of the Kakao Mini through other premium audio systems as well.

The speaker also connects to KakaoTalk, allowing users to check and send messages verbally.

The device automatically updates software to continuously provide users with new features, the company said.

The Kakao Mini offer users convenience by being linked to portal site such as daum as well as Kakao Talk. Kakao Mini will evolve to reflect new features with automatic update method.

Pre-orders for the Kakao Mini will start later in September 2017.