Samsung Opens Galaxy Home Mini Hardware Beta Test, Still Hasn't Launched Galaxy Home

Samsung is in the smart assistant business with Bixby, which has so far been integrated into its smartphones, like the Galaxy S10. Samsung had hoped to integrated Bixby into a smart speaker which was dubbed Galaxy Home and was announced a year ago (and has still not been released). Samsung has a second model that is rumored to be coming soon called the Galaxy Home Mini, and a beta test is set to start.

Samsung fans in South Korea will be the first to get their hands on the Galaxy Home Mini device with a beta test said to be underway there right now. As the name implies, the Home Mini is a smaller version of the Galaxy Home that announced along with the Galaxy Note 9.

As of today, Galaxy Home Mini fans in South Korea can register to join the beta program through September 1. Galaxy Home Mini hopefuls in South Korea can sign up to join the beta here. Those who get approval will receive the Galaxy Home Mini before the normal market release. It's worth noting that this month marked a year since the Galaxy Home smart speaker was unveiled, and it still isn't available.

Curiously, the Galaxy Home Mini beta program is starting before the full-size speaker ships. Samsung has stated this year that the Galaxy Home series would launch in the "mid-second half of the year" which would be any time now. Samsung has also said recently that it is continuing to refine and enhance the product before it launches. The smart speaker market is growing rapidly; the assumption is that Samsung had some sort of issue with the device that led to the delay.