Okay granted, it comes with Alexa rather than Assistant, but hey, it's something

We all remember the rumors that Google was working on a detachable Nest Hub. At Google I/O earlier this year, the company then made clear that it was in fact working on a device in this category, although it is a proper Android tablet with a base rather than anything more outlandish. If you can’t wait for this device to be released sometime in 2023, or you just don’t like Google Assistant, Bosch’s latest smart home device might be for you. At IFA 2022, Bosch has introduced its Smart Kitchen Dock, which serves as a great standalone Alexa speaker that also is a dock for your existing tablet or phone.

The Smart Kitchen Dock is a fairly ordinary, but strange-looking Amazon Alexa smart speaker when it isn’t connected to a phone or tablet. You can use it for all the instructions you know from your dedicated smart speaker. The device comes with two 41mm active speakers and a passive resonator, promising passable audio quality for music. Four microphones make sure that the device will understand you even when food is fizzling in the pan.

The cylindrical design with a device holder at the top then makes clear that the black polycarbonate device is more than a mere speaker, though. Once you pair your phone or tablet with the speaker, the Bosch Dock transforms your existing device into a recipe and smart home hub, all using Bosch’s own app that is automatically pulled up as soon as you set your device down on the hub. We presume it works via a proximity sensor or a scale that recognizes when a device is set down and then pushes the app to said device, as the stand was demoed with an iPad, which doesn't have an NFC chip that could serve a similar function.

As if that wasn’t enough, the Smart Kitchen Dock also supports gesture input. When you use Bosch’s app for cooking, you’re able to swipe through the different steps and the ingredients list by waving your hand in front of the device. At the IFA demo, this worked surprisingly well, and is a testament to Google’s Soli radar efforts that serve a similar purpose on its Nest Hub devices.

Bosch also promises that you will have access to a number of future services, so it seems that the company is committed to offer prolonged software updates to the Alexa-equipped device. The company touts that the Smart Kitchen Hub will serve as the control center for Bosch’s upcoming software and products that are part of its Home Connect ecosystem.

There are a few disadvantages to the setup, too. From what we can tell, the dock doesn’t include a wireless charging coil. If you want to charge your phone or tablet while you use it in conjunction with the dock, you’ll need to physically plug it into the device’s USB-A port. This isn’t ideal, especially compared to something more elegant as Google’s planned tablet. A disclaimer on Bosch's German website also makes clear that Android support is only coming soon, suggesting that the device might launch without Android connectivity out of the box.

You might not think of Bosch when you think of smart home, but the company has continually expanded its efforts in the area. The Smart Kitchen Dock is part of the company’s appliances division, and it might just be the device to properly kick off Bosch’s smart connectivity efforts.

The Kitchen Dock will be released in early 2023 in the UK and Germany. It’s supposed to be priced at around €190. While Bosch is looking into a US launch, it's not confirmed yet and there is no concrete timeline.

Manuel Vonau joined Android Police as a freelancer in 2019 and has worked his way up to become the publication's Google Editor. He focuses on Android, Chrome, and other software Google products — the core of Android Police’s coverage. He is based in Berlin, Germany. Before joining Android Police, Manuel studied Media and Culture studies in Düsseldorf, finishing his university "career" with a master's degree. This background gives him a unique perspective on the ever-evolving world of technology and its implications on society. He isn't shy to dig into technical backgrounds and the nitty-gritty developer details, either. His first steps into the Android world were plagued by issues. After running into connectivity problems with the HTC One S, he quickly switched to a Nexus 4, which he considers his true first Android phone. Since then, he has mostly been faithful to the Google phone lineup, though these days, he is also carrying an iPhone in addition to his Pixel 6. This helps him gain perspective on the mobile industry at large and gives him multiple points of reference in his coverage. Outside of work, Manuel enjoys a good film or TV show, loves to travel, and you will find him roaming one of Berlin's many museums, cafés, cinemas, and restaurants occasionally.