Report: Google's "Chirp" will be its answer to Amazon's Echo

Last year, Amazon released the Echo, “a hands-free speaker you control with your voice. Echo connects to the Alexa Voice Service to play music, provide information, news, sports scores, weather, and more—instantly. All you have to do is ask.” In a sense, it’s Siri or Google Now, but liberated from a smartphone and living in a stationary cylindrical device.

Much like the mobile voice assistants, the Echo – or Alexa – allows users to be more productive and save time. Instead of manually checking the web for developments on a breaking story, you can just ask it. Instead of manually selecting a track to play from a display, you just tell the Echo to play it. Naturally, Google is eager to get in on the action, especially with all the advancements and abilities of its own Google Now search assistant.

According to a new report by recode:

Google’s device will resemble its OnHub wireless router, according to several sources. We don’t know if it has a name yet, but internally the project goes by “Chirp.”

Sources said the device is unlikely to launch next week at Google’s I/O developer conference, but plans are for it to land at some point this year.

We should, however, get a peek at it and its potential next week — voice search and intelligent personal assistance will occupy center stage at the company’s splash show, along with virtual reality.

The prospect of such a product would definitely be music to the ears of more than a few Android users: Just imagine being able to take the voice-related abilities of Google’s search and use them without needing to have a device in hand. Imagine being able to access your entire Google Play Music library even if your phone is sitting, forgotten, on a desk at work. In a way, this all seems so logical, it’s surprising Google didn’t have a product of this nature in play several years ago.

Be that as it may, all eyes will be on center stage at the I/O conference next week in hope that any relevant news regarding “Chirp” is discussed.

What do you think? Does the prospect of Chirp sound appealing? Amazon Echo costs $179.99 (prior to tax), how much would you be willing to pay for Google’s offering? Leave a comment down below!