The strategic partnership between Xiaomi and Naver will help bring newer and improved AI-based IoT products in the market. Currently, Xiaomi uses its own digital assistant in its product, but post the collaboration, we can expect to see new devices like lights bulbs, air purifiers, smart home kits coming with Naver’s proprietary Clova assistant. Moving forward, Xiaomi is said to incorporate Clova AI development with its own AI platform. With that said, Clova will still continue to retain its own identity. Naver’s Clova assistant can be found in a number of popular devices including LG’s latest ThinQ smart speaker. The South Korean firm is also in talks with Qualcomm to use the American chipmaker’s SoC in its IoT devices. Naver, in itself, is a pretty large company in South Korea. It’s the country’s first online portal to build its own search engine. It’s also the parent firm behind the popular messaging app, LINE. Additionally, Naver bought Xerox’s Europe AI center late last year, thereby strengthening its grip in the field. The alliance with Naver comes at a time when Xiaomi is planning to make an entry in South Korea, a market that is currently occupied by heavyweight electronics giants like Samsung and LG. Xiaomi is believed to bring a total of 80 IoT products into the country sometime later this year. Alongside that, the Chinese OEM is set to launch a number of its smartphone in Korea too.
