Google

Google

Google

Google

Google

Google

Welcome to Day Zero of Google I/O 2018. The keynote might be tomorrow, but that isn't stopping one of the more interesting products from being announced a day ahead of time. Google and JBL have built the JBL Link Bar, a soundbar that combines the functionality of Android TV with Google Home. Your TV gets upgraded sound, the Android TV interface and apps, and always-on Google Home functionality, all in a compact soundbar package that can be wall-mounted.

Android TV devices have had the Google Assistant since 2017, and while this seems to have the usual Android TV Assistant commands, it also works as a smart speaker. It has the always-on "OK Google" hotword and four front lights, just like a Google Home. You can tell it to turn the TV on, all without touching a thing.

Android TV is currently seriously lacking hardware options. Much of the focus is on TVs with Android TV built in, but people with existing TVs don't have many devices to choose from. There are boxes like the Nvidia Shield and Xiaomi Mi Box but not much else. I would love to see an Android TV solution for wall-mounted TVs, like the Chromecast-style dongle that hit the FCC last month. This soundbar is another option for people who don't want another box.

We don't have a ton of info about the device right now. There are no specs or price, just pictures and a short press release from Google about this new product category. Google calls the JBL Link Bar "the first in a series of hybrid devices that delivers a full Assistant speaker and Android TV experience."

Google's video and press release seems especially focused on not needing a remote. You can tell the TV to turn on and play something, switch HDMI inputs with your face, and in general do everything "Hands free." I can't imagine browsing the Android TV interface without a remote, but you apparently don't need to find the remote if you know what you want to watch.

That's about it for official info, but I was sent a series of lossless 72MB 5000px images as part of the press package, so we can zoom and extract a bit more information. The render of the back shows a 3.5mm input jack, Ethernet, and four HDMI ports, presumably one for output and three for input. I don't think this render was meant to stand up to this level of forensics, though: after the power input, the next two "ports" are just nondescript shapes. I think they are supposed to represent USB-C and optical audio, but I can't be sure.

There's also a mystery button on the back, which has a symbol on it that almost looks like the soundbar in front of a subwoofer. So far, the video and the press images do not show a subwoofer, though. (This would be a pretty low-end home theater system without a subwoofer.)

The top of the unit has a pair of microphone holes (you can see them in the video), four buttons—power, Bluetooth (!), volume down, and volume up—and a physical mute switch.

Google says the JBL Link Bar will be on display at Google I/O, so hopefully we can gather some more information about it at the show. For now, this do-it-all home theater system seems very interesting. The JBL Link Bar launches fall of 2018.

Listing image by Google