Can Google Home understand Singaporean English, or Singlish? We put new region-specific smart speaker to the test
Google has recently given a few region-specific tweaks to its Google Home and Google Home Mini smart speakers to help it recognise Singaporean English speakers. Singapore native Paul Mah puts it through its paces
Built specifically with Google Assistant in mind, the Google Home and Google Home Mini smart speakers are touted as providing an always-available virtual personal assistant for your entire home.
Importantly, Google says its goal is to optimise the devices with region-specific smarts. With this in mind, we put the Singapore English version through its paces.
Hardware and set-up
The size of a large coffee mug, the Google Home speaker sports a non-symmetric design that is likely to blend in perfectly with the decor of most apartments. To personalise it, the fabric-wrapped portion of the base can be quickly swapped out by unplugging the power cord and twisting the base in an anti-clockwise direction.
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The top of the device is touch sensitive. You can use your finger to adjust the volume by moving it clockwise (louder) or anti-clockwise (softer), or tap to mute it instantly. LED lights arranged in a circle display the current volume as it is adjusted; the same lights flash with Google-themed colours when the device recognises your voice and starts listening.