From Brand to Product, Tmall Genie Has Completely Changed

Tmall Genie Has Changed.On May 23, Tmall Genie announced its brand upgrade in Hangzhou, launching the new Tmall Genie X6 smart speaker and officially announcing singer Zhou Shen as its global brand ambassador.With a new brand and a new spokesperson, Tmall Genie, founded in 2017 as the predecessor of Alibaba’s AI Lab, has developed significantly over the past seven years. It now serves more than 63 million users and 35 million households. As an important part of Alibaba’s artificial intelligence strategy, Tmall Genie has focused on integrating AI technology into daily life, aiming to create a smarter, more professional, personalized, and warmer AI interaction system to enrich Tmall Genie’s role in consumers’ lives.At the event, it was revealed that this was the first brand update in Tmall Genie’s seven-year history. For its new brand image, Tmall Genie features a simple, modern “AI” letter combination, presenting a unique cat-head design with a fresh brand slogan: “I’m here, you say.”Yian Bin, Tmall Genie’s marketing director, stated that the company will continue to enhance its technological and research capabilities, focusing on product innovation, large models, and smart ecosystems. Their goal is to fulfill their promise to users: to make life more convenient and happiness simpler.Why Zhou Shen?The choice of Zhou Shen as Tmall Genie’s brand ambassador was explained by Yian Bin: Zhou Shen’s beautiful and soothing voice has won the hearts of many listeners, which aligns perfectly with Tmall Genie’s pursuit of excellent sound quality.

The collaboration with Zhou Shen aims to provide music lovers with an AI-enhanced, high-quality sound experience. Furthermore, Tmall Genie will release custom limited-edition products in collaboration with Zhou Shen. For example, the new Tmall Genie X6 smart speaker will feature a Zhou Shen customized edition with an exclusive “Sky Music Playlist.” Users can simply say, “Zhou Shen recommended Sky Music” to enjoy Zhou Shen’s music world.Additionally, Tmall Genie has incorporated Zhou Shen’s characteristics into the product, creating a unique start-up greeting and alarm tone featuring his voice.Tmall Genie X6 Smart Speaker: A Major Upgrade.The centerpiece of the event was the launch of the Tmall Genie X6 smart speaker. As one of the first AI hardware products to enter homes, smart speakers have long been associated with basic tasks such as setting alarms and checking the weather, leading some users to forget the potential of smart speakers for high-quality sound. The Tmall Genie X6 aims to change that perception by combining excellent sound quality with smart interaction.The design philosophy of the Tmall Genie X6 merges technology with art. Its unique “Sky Music” layout uses a 1.1 acoustical architecture with independently placed tweeters that create a dome-like echo effect. Notably, the X6’s Hi-End speakers feature heat-resistant magnetic fluid material in the tweeters, borrowed from aerospace technology, ensuring clearer, more responsive sound.

The X6’s appearance is inspired by the Voyager 2 spacecraft, with a floating top design. It also includes temperature-sensitive lighting that adjusts according to weather changes.In terms of sound, the Tmall Genie X6 boasts Hi-Fi-level amplification with a high signal-to-noise ratio of 114 dB and a low distortion rate of 0.03%. The 1-inch, 10W tweeters and 3-inch, 20W woofers work together to deliver a rich, layered soundstage, providing users with an immersive music experience, similar to a live concert. The unique Linglong chamber structure, which connects the floating top to the body, creates a six-unit two-way crossover with a compact design and powerful energy.Genie OS and Smart Home Integration.The Tmall Genie X6 is equipped with Genie OS, powered by large AI models, to provide users with a wide range of services. In addition to weather and time services and personalized music recommendations, it now includes scene-based music design. Using advanced content understanding algorithms, the speaker can automatically play music that matches the current environment or user preferences.The X6 also integrates with over 460 million smart devices, covering more than 1,600 brands and 6,800 models. With the Quark Search AI model, the X6 is capable of answering a wide range of user questions, offering more accurate and reliable responses. If additional information is needed, it guides users to provide more details, ensuring precise answers.X6 Smart Speaker Availability.

The Tmall Genie X6 is now available on major e-commerce platforms, with the Zhou Shen customized version available for limited pre-sale.AI Models and the Smart Speaker Market.It’s important to note that the smart speaker market has faced challenges in recent years. According to Lutu Technology data, the Chinese smart speaker market in 2023 saw a decline in sales, dropping by 19.8% year-on-year, with a market value of 5.94 billion RMB, a decrease of 21.0%.The rapid development of AI models has provided a much-needed boost to the smart speaker industry, as these AI models are one of the most accessible applications for the devices. In 2023, Baidu announced it would integrate its Wenxin Yiyan AI model with smart devices, while Tmall Genie also announced its partnership with Alibaba’s Tongyi Qianwen AI model. These advancements show that the combination of smart speakers with generative AI is not only feasible but also a significant upgrade to traditional smart speakers.The Future of AI-Powered Smart Speakers.With the power of generative AI, the Tmall Genie X6 is a major leap forward from previous models. As AI evolves, we can expect smarter, more emotionally intelligent interactions with devices, where voice responses will be warmer and more personalized. While AI-powered smart speakers may not yet offer the same level of functionality as smartphones, they are opening new possibilities for voice-based interactions.In the future, this new form of interaction will revolutionize the way we engage with smart devices, turning them from basic tools into companions that understand and interact with us more naturally.