[Japan]【LINE Clova】Minions Join LINE's Smart Speakers

2018.08.17 AI

● Minion-themed AI assistant says "Banana," "Bello," and other famous Minionese expressions

● Speakers bundled with stickers to customize the Minion’s facial expression to hit store shelves on August 21

● "Clova Friends Dock" that lets users control their home appliances through their Clova Friends smart speakers also to be launched on the same day

 

TOKYO – August 16, 2018 – LINE Corporation ("LINE") is launching "Clova Friends (MINIONS Kevin)" and "Clova Friends mini (MINIONS Bob)" – Minion-themed smart speakers powered by LINE's AI assistant "Clova" – on August 21 based on a commercialization license agreement with NBC Universal Entertainment. On the same day, LINE is also launching the "Clova Friends Dock," an IR remote that enables users to control their home appliances using their Clova Friends smart devices.*1

*1: Clova Friends and Clova Friends mini

 

Official "Clova Friends (MINIONS Kevin)" and "Clova Friends mini (MINIONS Bob)" website: https://clova.line.me/clova-friends/minions/ (Japanese only)

/stf/linecorp/en/pr/ClovaMINIONS_Main.png

 "Clova Friends" is LINE's cute line-up of smart speakers designed after Brown, Sally, and other popular characters. Powered by the AI assistant Clova, the devices enable users to easily search for information such as the news and weather reports as well as play music, get their horoscope, and call up other various content using voice control. Since Clova Friends hit store shelves in December 2017, the character-themed smart speakers have been offering a new experience to users who feel as though they are talking to the smart speaker’s themed character with their friends and family.

 

In the latest collaboration, LINE will begin selling Clova Friends and Clova Friends mini smart speakers designed after Minions – the popular character from the Despicable Me franchise – from August 21. Two models will be made available: "Clova Friends (MINIONS Kevin)" designed after the lovable leader Kevin, and "Clova Friends mini (MINIONS Bob)" designed after Bob, the smallest of the Minions and distinguished by his two different-colored eyes.

  

 By saying "Hey Clova, let the Minion talk *2," Kevin or Bob will start to speak, and say "Banana," Bello," and other famous lines from the movie in Minionese. The Minions give various responses full of emotion to trigger words such as "You're cute," "I love you," and "I'm tired," and respond to requests such as "Count for me," and "Sing me a song," allowing users to have a pseudo experience talking to a real Minion. The smart speakers come with stickers that users can use to customize their Minion's facial expression.

 *2: "Hey Clova, let the Kevin talk" "Hey Clova, let the Kevin talk"

  

[Clova Friends (MINIONS Kevin) / Clova Friends mini (MINIONS Bob)]

User

Minion (Kevin / Bob)

Hello

Bello

Kampai

Kampai

What's your favorite food?

Banana

Count for me

Hana dul sae

 

Prior to the official launch of the Minion-themed smart speakers on August 21, home electronics retailers and their online stores as well as Rakuten Books will begin accepting pre-orders *4 for "Clova Friends (MINIONS Kevin) *3," "Clova Friends mini (MINIONS Bob)," and the "Clova Friends Dock" from August 16. "Clova Friends mini (MINIONS Bob) and Clova Friends (MINIONS Kevin)," "Clova Friends mini and Clova Friends Dock," and other bundles will also be offered for a special deal.

*3: "Clova Friends (MINIONS Kevin)" will only be sold from the official Clova website and Rakuten Books.

*4: The official Clova website will not be taking pre-orders.

 

On August 21, LINE will also release the "Clova Friends Dock," an IR remote that enables users to control their home appliances using their Clova Friends smart device. Using the dock, users can control their television, lights, and air conditioner even more seamlessly by saying "Hey Clova, turn off the TV" and other voice commands. LINE will continue to make efforts to increase the variety of Clova-supported home appliances and manufacturers.

  

Clova Friends (MINIONS Kevin) / Clova Friends mini (MINIONS Bob)

Product overview

Clova Friends (MINIONS Kevin)

Price: JPY 8,640 (including tax)

On sale: August 21, 2018 (pre-orders begin August 16, 2018)

Where to buy: On the order page on the official LINE Clova website or on Rakuten Books

 

Clova Friends mini (MINIONS Bob)

Price: JPY 5,400 (including tax)

On sale: August 21, 2018 (pre-orders begin August 16, 2018)

Where to buy: On the order page on the official LINE Clova website, Rakuten Books, at participating electronics retailers across Japan, etc.*3

* See the official Clova blog for information on where to purchase the units (https://clova.line.me/where-to-buy/; Japanese only)

 

Clova Friends (MINIONS Kevin) / Clova Friends mini (MINIONS Bob) bundle

Price: JPY 9,990 (including tax)

On sale: August 21, 2018 (pre-orders begin August 16, 2018)

Where to buy: Exclusively on the order page on the official LINE Clova website or on Rakuten Books

 

Specifications

Product Name

Clova Friends (MINIONS Kevin)

Clova Friends mini (MINIONS Bob)

Size

72 mm × 78 mm x 180mm

72 mm × 78.14 mm x 110mm

Weight

380g

268g

Wireless

Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4GHz, 5GHz)
Bluetooth 4.2

Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4GHz, 5GHz)
Bluetooth 4.2

Power

5V/2A

5V/2A

Battery

2,000mAh / 3.7V internal battery

2,000mAh / 3.7V internal battery

Speaker

10W Class D Amp 52mm Full Range/60 ×

 45mm Passive Radiator

7W Class D Amp, 45mm Full Range

Microphone

2 internal mics

2 internal mics

Supported OS

Android 4.4 or above / iOS 9.0 or above

Android 4.4 or above / iOS 9.0 or above

Supported Languages

Japanese

Japanese

* Specifications are subject to change.

* A personal LINE account and the LINE Clova app are required to use this product. User registration can be performed by connecting to the device from the LINE Clova app.

™&©Universal Studios

 

 

Clova Friends Dock (IR remote)

Product overview

Clova Friends Dock (IR remote)

Price: JPY 3,780 (including tax)

Where to buy: On the order page on the official LINE Clova website, at participating electronics retailers across Japan, etc.

On sale: August 21, 2018 (pre-orders begin August 16, 2018)

 

Clova Friends / Clova Friends Dock bundle

Price: JPY 11,330 (including tax)

On sale: August 21, 2018 (pre-orders begin August 16, 2018)

Where to buy: On the order page on the official LINE Clova website, at participating electronics retailers across Japan, etc.

* The Clova Friends (MINIONS Kevin) / Clova Friends Dock bundle will only be available on the official LINE Clova website and Rakuten Books.

 

Clova Friends mini / Clova Friends Dock bundle

Price: JPY 8,370 (including tax)

On sale: August 21, 2018 (pre-orders begin August 16, 2018)

Where to buy: On the order page on the official LINE Clova website and at participating electronics retailers across Japan

 

Specifications

Product Name

Clova Friends Dock (IR remote)

Size

75 mm x 22.3mm

Weight

49g

Power

5V/2A

Supported speakers

Clova Friends / Clova Friends mini

Supported OS

Android 4.4 or above / iOS 9.0 or above

Sensor range

15m without obstacles * May differ depending on home appliance performance

Parallel: Up to 360 degrees; Perpendicular: 70 degrees up, 30 degrees down

 

 

About LINE Clova

"Clova" is LINE's AI assistant. It is embedded in the simple and stylish smart speaker "Clova WAVE," and "Clova Friends" and "Clova Friends mini" themed after LINE's popular characters Brown and Sally. LINE is continuously developing and improving on Clova's skills, which include playing music and the radio, reading out the news and the weather, and enabling users to exchange LINE messages and make free calls with their LINE friends using voice control.

 

Official LINE Clova website: https://clova.line.me/ (Japanese only)

Official LINE Clova Twitter account: https://twitter.com/LINE_Clova (Japanese only)

Official LINE Clova Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/LINE.Clova/ (Japanese only)

Official LINE Clova blog: http://clova-blog.line.me/ja/ (Japanese only)