Google LLC is planning to step up to the plate in its battle with Amazon.com Inc. for the smart home speaker market with a new, smaller version of Google Home set to be revealed at a company event scheduled for Oct. 4.

Rather unimaginatively named the Google Home Mini, the new device is said to offer the same things a regular Google Home does including Google Assistant, the ability to serve as a hub for smart home functions and the ability to serve information queries but in a significantly smaller form factor. It will be offered in chalk, charcoal and coral, but the most significant thing about Google’s latest entry into the market will be its price: $49.

Droid Life, which obtained the leaked picture of the smart speaker, provided additional details, such as the device being powered rather than wireless. Also, there appear to be lights on top of the unit, likely to be used to let people know that they are interacting with their Google Home Mini in a similar fashion to the multicolored LEDs featured on the existing Google Home.

There is absolutely no question at all what Google’s intent is with the Home Mini and that’s to provide a direct competitor to Amazon.com Inc.’s Echo Dot, the smaller version of the Amazon Echo the e-commerce giant launched in March 2016. The price of the Home Mini is surely not a coincidence either, coming in at exactly the same price as the Echo Dot.

Google remains the underdog in the smart home speaker market. A report published by Consumer Intelligence Research Partner this week found that Amazon dominates the market, having sold 15 million smart home speakers versus Google’s 5 million.

Despite entering the market after Amazon, Google still has plenty of opportunities to grow. According to Technavio, the market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 38 percent out to 2021, meaning that there is ample opportunity for an Amazon competitor to steal market share.

Although it’s a two-horse race at this stage, the market is likely to see new competitors over the coming year as well. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. was reported to be building an artificial intelligence-powered smart speaker in August and Apple Inc. is also believed to be building its own device as well, though it’s not clear if and when it will launch.

Image: Droid Life