Future Google Home smart speakers could feature multi-touch support with a touchscreen device, or at least that's how it looks based on a new job listing Google posted this week, Variety reports.
The position is specifically for a "Touch Sensor Hardware Engineer, Google Home," and it calls for someone who will "work on the next generation of Google Hardware to enable the best multi-touch user experience."
In addition, whoever gets the job "will lead the touch module development and integration for Google Hardware from concept to mass production."
The news lends credence to rumors from September that Google is creating a touchscreen device that would be similar to the Amazon Echo Show. The timing is also a little interesting, particularly since Google's YouTube content is currently disabled on the Echo Show due to an ongoing spat with Amazon over how YouTube's content should be displayed. Releasing a Show-like device would allow Google to ignore the Show entirely.
A touchy technology
Past Google Home devices have featured touch-support, but only in a limited role and not always with success. Not long after October's launch of the Google Home Mini, for instance, Google had to disable the touch interface on top of the unit because it sometimes started recording conversations ceaselessly. Oddly enough, Google just today began reactivating the play and pause buttons on the miniature Home speaker.
The new job listing, though, shows that Google has plans that extend far beyond the simple controls the Home or the Home Mini offer, although it's currently not clear what those plans may be.
Whatever they are, the increasing frequency of the rumors suggests we may learn sooner than later. And if this job hunt proves successful, perhaps they'll be able to avoid another debacle like the one that affected the Home Mini.
