Google intensifies Apple rivalry with music system
Google is thought to be developing a home entertainment system to stream music wirelessly, further escalating its rivalry with Apple.
The Android music system is reported to be the first hardware that Google will design and market under its own name. Google’s range of smartphones, tablets and televisions are currently built by other companies but run on Android software.
The move would intensify its competition with Apple and follows other moves by Google to catch up with its rival in the home entertainment market by selling digital music, movies and e-books to consumers via the Android Market.
Earlier this week Google boosted its hardware expertise by poaching leading Apple engineer Simon Prakash, who was the latter company’s senior director of product integrity.
Google’s planned acquisition of mobile manufacturer Motorola will also ramp up its hardware proposition.
The search giant is reported to have been testing the music system for more than six months, which will link with home WiFi systems to wirelessly stream music from the cloud and other web-connected devices such as smartphones and tablets.
The system is thought to be prepped for launch later this year.
Google declined to comment on the “speculation” surrounding the Android home entertainment system.
