Google has long offered video calling kits for conference rooms that provide an integrated experience. In partnership with Lenovo, the company today announced Series One as a solution “made exclusively for Google Meet” that leverages several first-party technologies.
There are five hardware components to Series One. It starts with a “Smart Audio Bar” powered by eight beam-forming microphones and Google Edge TPUs to deliver TrueVoice, a “proprietary, multi-channel noise cancellation technology.”
It removes unwanted sounds (keyboard typing, phone vibrations, and “crinkling snack packaging”) while amplifying voices at a consistent volume. Also, it looks like a very short Google Home Max, and all components are available in Charcoal or Chalk.
Rounded corners, quality fabric and Google’s signature industrial design make Series One a welcome addition to any architectural style.
Developed with Huddy, Google is offering two different 4K Smart Cameras (a regular 12MP or 20.3MP “XL”). It automatically pans, tilts, and zooms with Google AI.
Google partnered with Mimo on a 10.1-inch, Ethernet-powered “Touch Controller” that can start meetings and control settings. Assistant voice commands are also supported, and it looks like a Nest Hub but flatter. The Small Room Kit only offers a rechargeable Remote Control with 10 front keys and a QWERTY keyboard on the back.
There is a Mic Pod for larger rooms. It’s basically a Nest Mini with giant button for fast mute/unmute.
Everything is powered by a Meet Compute System with Intel Core i7 processor, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and Google Edge TPUs. The rounded rectangular box has a slew of ports and can be mounted vertically. It runs Chrome OS, while each kit “can anonymously sense the number of room participants and visits.”
The key aspect of Series One is how everything — except the computer — gets Power-over-Ethernet (PoE). All cables come color-coded to “reduce clutter, cost, and installation time,” while daisy chaining allows for expansion.
Google Meet Series One will be available in the US, Canada, Finland, France, Norway, Spain, Ireland, United Kingdom, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Netherlands, Denmark, and Belgium. Pre-orders start soon and pricing is as follows:
- Small Room Kit (up to 6 people): $2,699
- Medium Room Kit (6 – 10): $2,999
- Large Room Kit (10+): $3,999
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