Google May Be Building A Competitor For The Echo Show

Much of the tech world was left with a case of the head scratches earlier this week when it came out that YouTube was to be pulled — without much in the way of explanation or warning — from the Echo Show.

Now, it seems, the reasoning why is a bit more clear: sources tell TechCrunch that Google is building a tabletop smart screen that is widely expected to be the Echo Show’s new competitor on the block. Officially known as “Manhattan” (ah, Google and its code names), it will be similar in many regards to the  7-inch Echo Show.

All sources confirm the device will offer YouTube, Google Assistant, Google Photos and video calling. It will also act as a smart hub that can control Nest and other smart home devices.

Sources indicate that Google is getting this product out a bit earlier than intended — the thought was that it would launch somewhere around the halfway mark in 2018.  But because of the Echo Show, there’s intense internal pressure to get this launched earlier — even if it might not really be in the market till next year.

It’s unclear what the price of the device will be or what exactly it will look like.

When Google pulled YouTube from the Echo show, its explanation was almost non-existent.

“Google has chosen to no longer make YouTube available on Echo Show, without explanation and without notification to customers. There is no technical reason for that decision,” Amazon told The Verge after the situation became known.

“Amazon’s implementation of YouTube on the Echo Show violates our terms of service, creating a broken user experience. The Echo Show didn’t have all the subscriptions and video recommendations for YouTube that many believe are critical,” Google replied.

Why Google would push into video makes sense — it allows them access to yet another part of consumers’ lives, with all the glorious data that entails. Ultimately, if it catches on, Google could also use the devices to become the center of people’s growing array of smart home devices, since they also control Nest devices. A Google-made omni-hub that worked with many different partners might simplify lives for many smart-house enthusiasts who don’t relish a hub for every gadget.