【LINE Clova】LINE Launches Its Latest Smart Speaker, "Clova Friends mini"
2018.05.31 AI
● At just 11cm tall and weighing 260g, Brown and Sally have been minified into adorable little speakers
● Now easier than ever to take on the go, the new speakers serve as personal assistants by becoming a natural part of users' day-to-day lives
● With a simple "Hey Clova," users can make calls and send messages over LINE, play music, hear the news, and access other convenient features
TOKYO – May 31, 2018 – LINE Corporation announces that "Clova Friends mini," its minified smart speaker powered by LINE's Clova AI assistant, goes on sale at stores across Japan on June 1, 2018.
Models inspired by popular LINE characters Brown and Sally will be available for purchase at this time.
"Clova Friends mini" official site: https://clova.line.me/clova-friends-mini/ (open from 12am on June 1; Japanese only)
In December 2017, LINE released "Clova Friends," speakers themed after popular LINE characters Brown and Sally, in order to make a speaker that users would feel comfortable to talk to. As a result, a great deal of users responded in a survey that they felt as if they were speaking directly with the characters, leading them to treat the speakers like their friends, or even a member of their own family. What’s more, many users have reported that the Clova Friends speaker has stimulated communication within their families thanks not only to its built-in battery, allowing the unit to be used in a wide variety of places, but also due to the fact that it can be enjoyed with children, as reported by many users in their 30s and 40s. In addition to the frequently-used "storytelling" feature among this age group, even toddlers are able to operate the unit using only their voice, allowing them to communicate with members of their families by having the speaker read out messages or make free voice calls over LINE.
Note: See the official Clova blog for survey results ( http://clova-blog.line.me/ja/archives/9666668.html ; Japanese only)
"Clova Friends mini" (on sale June 1) is being launched in an adorable minified-size (height: 11cm; weight: 260g) to make it seem even more like a friend or member of users' families. Despite its small size, it packs the same features as the full-size Clova Friends and also has a built-in battery.
Users can launch a variety of life-enhancing features by calling out "Hey Clova" (Nee Clova)*1 and giving an instruction. Available features include sending and reading out LINE messages, making and receiving LINE voice calls, playing any of the over 45 million songs through LINE Music, reading out the latest news through LINE NEWS, and more.
*1: Starting with the launch of Clova Friends mini, the default phrase used to activate the unit has been changed from simply "Clova" to "Hey Clova" in order to improve accuracy. Users can use the app to change the trigger phrase to one of several choices. Information on how to change settings is available on the blog at the following link ( http://clova-blog.line.me/ja/archives/8798416.html ; Japanese only)
About Clova Friends mini
Name: Clova Friends mini Brown
Clova Friends mini Sally
Height: 11cm
Weight: 260g
Where to purchase: Available at electronics retailers across Japan and online*2
Price: JPY 5,400 (including tax)
*2: See the official Clova blog for information on where to purchase the unit ( http://clova-blog.line.me/ja/archives/9652912.html ; Japanese only)
LINE Clova has always been improved through updates based on user feedback and requests. LINE will continue to actively take in user feedback as LINE Clova makes users' day-to-day lives even more convenient and enjoyable as a "growing speaker."
About Clova Friends mini
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Clova Friends mini Brown Clova Friends mini Sally |
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Size |
72 mm × 72 mm x 113.8mm (Brown) 72 mm × 72 mm x 109.7mm (Sally) |
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Weight |
258g |
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Memory/Storage |
RAM: 512MB LPDDR3 Storage: 4GB eMMC(x8) Flash |
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Wireless |
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4GHz, 5GHz) |
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Battery |
2,000mAh / 3.7V |
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Speaker |
7W Class D Amp, 45mm Full Range |
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Codec |
Conexant CX20921 |
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Microphone |
ICS-40212 (InvenSense) Sensitivity 94 dB SPL @ 1 kHz -38dBV Signal to Noise Ratio 66dB(A) Acoustic Overload Point 128dB SPL |
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Supported OS |
Android 4.4 or above / iOS 9.0 or above |
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Supported Languages |
Japanese |
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Price |
Standalone unit: JPY 5,400 (including tax) |
* Specifications are subject to change.
* A personal LINE account and the LINE Clova app are required to use this product. User can register by connecting to the Clova Friends mini unit from the LINE Clova app.
"Clova Friends mini" feature list
About LINE Clova
LINE has embedded its AI assistant Clova in both the first-edition smart speaker, Clova WAVE (released October 2017), and second-edition smart speaker themed after LINE's popular characters Brown and Sally, Clova Friends (released December 2017).
Official LINE Clova website (Japanese only): https://clova.line.me/
Official LINE Clova Twitter account (Japanese only): https://twitter.com/LINE_Clova
Official LINE Clova Facebook account (Japanese only): https://www.facebook.com/LINE.Clova/
Official LINE Clova blog (Japanese only): http://clova-blog.line.me/ja/