As tipped by SmartHouse yesterday, networking behemoth Netgear has released its new ‘Orbi Voice’ in Australia, which claims to be the world’s first mesh Wi-Fi system with a built-in Amazon Alexa smart speaker.
Starting from A$499, the Orbi Voice pledges robust Wi-Fi connection, strong audio output and voice control intelligence in one hybrid device – inclusive of multi-room music capabilities.
By connecting an Orbi Voice with an Orbi Wi-Fi system, users can achieve whole home Wi-Fi coverage up to 418 square meters, or high-performance internet up to 3Gigabits per second combined Wi-Fi speed.
Connectivity also claims to offer nearly zero buffering time with no dead zones.
Networking functionality is enhanced via Harman Kardon audio components.
With Alexa integrated inside Orbi’s Voice Satellite, voice commands can stream music (e.g. from Spotify), control other smart home devices (e.g. smart lights), check weather/sports scores and more, without needing a separate Amazon Echo device.
“Orbi Voice is the result of combining the three key technologies used in the Smart Home environment in order to deliver both exceptional WiFi and quality sound from our audio technology partner Harman Kardon,” asserts David Henry, Netgear Senior VP of Connected Home Products.
“It is also widely known that the most popular skill employed with smart speakers is to enjoy streaming music services.”
“To address this need, we have taken our expertise in WiFi and married it with a legend in the industry, Harman Kardon, to deliver superior sound quality while aligning with the leading providers of streaming music to give our customers the best WiFi and HiFi in one package.”
With a built-in four-microphone array and far-field voice recognition, users can adjust volume and equalizer controls via the Orbi mobile app.
Users can also adjust the speaker’s treble and bass from its 3.5-inch front-facing woofer and 1-inch tweeter.
“The two fastest growing consumer trends for Smart Home technology have been the popularity of the voice assistant control and the growth of WiFi mesh systems,” asserts Henry.
“Netgear, the established leader of WiFi Mesh with our award-winning Orbi Whole Home Tri-band Mesh WiFi systems and Nighthawk Mesh WiFi extenders, is driving the next step in innovation with a built-in Alexa assistant and WiFi mesh satellite in a single consumer solution.”
The new Orbi Voice is compactly designed to sit on a bookshelf or kitchen counter, whilst eliminating the clutter of three separate products.
The new Orbi System pledges to be ready right out of the box, and is compatible with current internet service providers.
Set-up is facilitated via a smartphone and the free Orbi app, which also offers automated software updates and smart parental controls.
Pricing
Orbi Mesh WiFi System (RBK50V) consisting of Orbi Tri-Band WiFi Router plus one Orbi Voice Smart Speaker and Wi-Fi Satellite – RRP $799.00.
Add-on Orbi Voice Smart Speaker and WiFi Mesh satellite (RBS40V) for those with existing Orbi WiFi system – RRP $499.00.
