Tech

Touchscreen Google Home existence hinted within code

Taking on Amazon Echo Show: Official Google app code suggests the company has a touchscreen Google Home in the works.

Written by Jake Smith, Contributor Oct. 23, 2017 at 11:02 a.m. PT

Google could add a touchscreen Home to the lineup. (Image: File photo)

A teardown of code in the latest Google app 7.14.16 beta hints to an unannounced, touchscreen Google Home device. If it actually hits the market, the touchscreen Google Home is likely to compete with the touchscreen Echo Show released by Amazon.

Google Home review: A promising step towards the future

Google's answer to the Amazon Echo isn't perfect, but it's the best in its class.

Read now

Android Police first spotted the code that refers to "Quartz," and it suggests the touchscreen Home features on-display features, weather forecasts, interactive timers, YouTube video playback, a basic web browser, photo galleries, and Google Maps with business listings.

Google hasn't confirmed the existence of the Quartz device. It could give Google Assistant another way to deploy within the home and office, and better connect Google's existing hardware as part of its AI push.

In September, TechCrunch reported Google is working on a touchscreen home device that will act as a smart hub to control Nest and other smart home devices. It's said to be codenamed "Manhattan" internally and will have a similar 7-inch screen to the Amazon Echo.

With leaks, we always suggest a healthy dose of salt. Android Police cautioned the Quartz code could be in place for the software that will interact with the touch screen Google Home, rather than the device itself. The code makes no specific mention of screen size.

Previously, TechCrunch reported Google will ship the touchscreen device by mid-2018. It's worth noting hardware launches often fluctuate within a company.

There's still a lot of missing pieces, but a touchscreen Google Home makes sense. Google recently released a Google Home Mini and Google Home Max, and a touchscreen device would fit right in. A touchscreen Google Home would also give Google's growing hardware division another piece to fend off rivals like Amazon and Apple.