Gigaset reinvents the landline phone - Gigaset smart speaker L800HX

Press Release
Munich, April 16, 2019

Gigaset reinvents the landline phone
Premiere for the Gigaset smart speaker L800HX with Amazon Alexa built-in

As one of the first on the market, Gigaset enables DECT landline calling with Amazon Alexa. The new Gigaset smart speaker L800HX is a voice-controlled hands-free telephone that can call any fixed-line or mobile number when connected to a DECT base station or a compatible router. Thanks to the powerful loudspeaker and wide-band voice transmission, the person being called sounds as if they were practically in the same room. At the same time, the stylish device boasts a lush sound and masters Alexa skills - ask Alexa anything from the weather forecast to music streaming. Gigaset's L800HX smart speaker unites the excellent quality of DECT fixed-line telephony with the innovative voice control from Alexa.

There will be the astonishing number of around 170 million smart speakers in households worldwide by the end of 2019, according to the experts from Canalys in their latest smart speaker Analysis 2018. Voice-controlled speakers impress with their wide range of functions and entertainment value - there are currently thousands of different skills available for Amazon Alexa alone in Germany. "When we were developing our smart speaker, we felt it was especially important to gear it very closely to our customers' life and deliver added value every day," says Jan Moser, Product Manager at Gigaset. "We therefore reflected on what has made Gigaset so strong for decades. And that is fixed-line calling, which we are now combining with the tried-and-tested Alexa voice service."

Handset cloaked in fabric

The Gigaset smart speaker L800HX can be used just like a handset on any DECT base station - such as one for a normal cordless phone - or directly on a router with the relevant functionality. No additional device or extension with a connection to the phone socket is needed to make calls. All the other person needs is a normal telephone or mobile phone. The Gigaset smart speaker app for Android and iOS enables a connection to the WiFi network, Amazon Alexa and DECT system to be set up quickly and easily. After that, the contacts on the smartphone are imported to the Amazon service if desired and then users can start phoning. The Gigaset smart speaker establishes a telephone connection in response to a voice command, such as "Alexa, call Tom." Phone numbers can also be dictated: "Alexa, call 0171 123 456." Incoming calls can be taken and ended by calling out "Alexa, pick up the phone" or "Alexa, hang up" - which is especially practical if users have their hands full in the kitchen, for instance. If the caller is stored in the phone book, Alexa even says his or her name. By the way, calls can also be ignored: "Alexa, don't take the call."

Excellent voice recognition and powerful sound

With its refined microphone technology and echo cancellation, the Gigaset smart speaker L800HX ensures that calls can be understood very clearly, even when there is a large group of people around - such as in a family conference or when business calls are made in small offices. If the call is taken on a handset, it can be transferred to the Gigaset smart speaker. And if a contact name has also been assigned to other handsets connected to the same DECT base station, internal calls with other rooms are also possible, for example by saying "Alexa, call the study."

The new Gigaset smart speaker does not need to hide its head in the sand when it comes to design, either. Its clear, cylindrical shape in bright white with a modern, structured textile surface and small orange Gigaset fabric label give the device an outstanding look.

The powerful three-inch loudspeaker not only enables clear calls, but also turns the Gigaset smart speaker into a music streaming station that fills the room with sound. Besides Internet services like Amazon Music or TuneIn, it supports the Bluetooth 4.1 audio standard and can cordlessly play music from Bluetooth-based devices such as a smartphone. All other audio sources can also be connected using the Aux In port.

Toward a Gigaset ecosystem

"Our new Gigaset smart speaker shows the direction we want to take in the future," says Gigaset's CEO Klaus Weßing. "We've reinvented the fixed-line phone with the L800HX: Our customers get integrated solutions from us in the context of the smart home and IoT. Yet we're staying true to our core competence, telecommunications."

The Gigaset smart speaker proves that Gigaset has long since left behind its original core business of fixed-line calling and has expanded its product range enormously. Its portfolio comprises smartphones and professional communications solutions for SMEs and large enterprises and has been augmented in the past years by innovative, refined smart home solutions. One of them is the Gigaset Smart Home alarm system, which immediately notifies users of attempts to break into their home. Thanks to a partnership with the insurance group AXA, it can also alert staff from a security service. It has long been possible to activate the system using Alexa-enabled devices, but now the Gigaset smart speaker can also take on the task - a short voice command ("Alexa, tell Gigaset I'm going now") before leaving home is all it takes. As a result, the latest product adds a further building block to the growing Gigaset ecosystem and delivers greater convenience and synergies.

The Gigaset smart speaker L800HX goes on sale at retailers and in the Gigaset online shop at the RRP of EUR199.90 from mid-May 2019.

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Gigaset is an internationally operating company in the area of communications technology. The company is Europe's market leader in DECT telephones and is also a leader in the international arena, with around 900 employees and sales activities in 50 countries. Its business activities comprise not only DECT phones, but also an extensive smartphone portfolio, cloud-based smart home security solutions, and business telephony solutions for small, medium-sized and large enterprises.

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