Yandex.Station

Yandex.Station is a home multimedia platform with voice assistant Alice on board.

2024

Launch of MTS call function

MTS on September 5, 2024 announced that, together with Yandex, it had launched the call function through Yandex Station. With its help, MTS subscribers will be able to call from smart speakers to the numbers of any operators at their current tariff and receive calls.

This feature is available in beta in almost all regions of MTS presence. You can connect it for free in the Home with Alice application on all smart Yandex devices, except for Duo Max Station and TVs running YaOS and YaOS X - in the future, calls to phone numbers may appear on these devices. To do this, in the menu you need to select the function "Calls from the speaker, as from the phone" and specify your mobile number. After registration, the user will be able to select up to 10 contacts and add them to the directory of the mobile application "House with Alice." Limiting the number of contacts will protect against unwanted calls and receive calls only from the closest people.

With the help of calls from Yandex Station, communication will become even more convenient. Calls come simultaneously to the phone and to the smart speaker. The plus function is that Yandex Station is always in place and in touch, it is easier to hear it - you can call and receive calls from a smart speaker regardless of where the phone is located and whether it is turned on. At the same time, the quality of calls is no different from the usual calls.

You can receive a call at the Station using a voice command, for example, "Alice, take a call." The virtual assistant will give the caller's name, and the call will arrive at the speaker synchronously with the mobile phone, even if it is in silent mode or turned off. For convenience, users can access Do Not Disturb mode, which can be configured for specific time intervals during which the Station will not notify the owner of incoming calls.

Making a call from a smart speaker is as easy as taking it. To do this, it is enough to pronounce a command, for example, "Alice, call your mother," and the virtual assistant will independently dial the desired number. A call from Yandex Station is no different from a regular telephone call: it is paid at your current mobile rate, and the interlocutor sees a standard incoming call from your number.

We are constantly improving the telecom experience of our subscribers, introducing new functions and opportunities first on the market. According to a survey we conducted in 2024, 72% of MTS subscribers speak on speakerphone on average 3 times a day, which means that for most of our users calls through a smart speaker will be familiar. In addition, given the popularity of smart speakers, whose sales are actively growing from year to year, the new function has every chance of becoming in demand, "said Maxim Laptev, vice president of digital products at MTS.

According to MTS, from January to July 2024, 2.5 million smart speakers were sold in Russia in the amount of 23 billion rubles, which is 39% more compared to the same period in pieces and 53% more in money. Yandex accounts for about 90% of sales of smart speakers in Russia - since the start of sales of the first Station at the end of 2018, the company's smart speakers have sold more than 11 million units.

Optimization of the system of personal recommendations

TV Stations with Alice became truly personal, remaining a family device. Yandex announced this on August 5, 2024. Now any member of the family can easily go to their favorite films and TV shows - just ask Alice to switch the account. In addition, the recommendation system began to take into account the likes and dislikes of users for films.

source = Yandex

On the main screen, everyone will see their own personal content: selected films and TV series for him, favorite applications, TV channels, as well as viewing history.

The user will be able to continue watching the film exactly where he interrupted, even if he started on a smartphone. TV Station will remind him of the release of a new episode of the series, which he follows. And if a person wants to keep the film selected, he just needs to say: "Alice, I will watch."

Switching between accounts has become very convenient. You can simply ask: "Alice, switch to another account," and if there is a child in the family - "Alice, turn on the children's account." Recommendations to different family members will not mix among themselves. So, the recommendations for adults will not include cartoons selected for children, and the child will only see content suitable for his age. TV Station allows you to connect up to four accounts, including with a family subscription Yandex Plus. For example, Kinopoisk is used on one TV on average by two people.

Thanks to likes and dislikes for films, Alice will be better aware of the user's tastes. Already at the first launch of the device, she asks the viewer to select several films to find out his preferences. Then you can leave likes and dislikes in the process of choosing a movie - Alice will remember which films she liked and which ones do not need to be offered. In addition to likes, the recommendation system began to take into account which films a person saved in the favorites.

Update with the ability to select the availability of the baby monitor mode

On April 25, 2024, Yandex announced the release of Alice's April update for Yandex Stations.

source = Yandex

According to the company, now that the track is playing, we can say: Alice, show the lyrics - and she will display the words of the song on the screen of your TV Station. And you can immediately start a karaoke party: Yandex Music automatically synchronizes the text with the current song.

Alice will open the lyrics of not only Russian, but also foreign artists. You can sing, for example, Leonid Agutin's "On the Lilac Moon" or Adele's "Hello." More than 30% of TV Station owners listen to music on them, that is, use the TV as a smart speaker. The "T" button in the music player will make it clear for which tracks the text is available.

There are more sports channels with Yandex Plus options on TV Stations. Now "Match Premier" and "Match! Football. " Live broadcasts of matches of the Russian Premier League, Champions League or other European cups

Any content that is found in the video search will be immediately played in the player. You can control your voice: pause, continue, rewind, select quality or turn on subtitles.

Now it is possible to decide what the morning show will be like. Choose which content and in what order to listen: podcasts on different topics, weather forecast, specific skills, music tracks or news from certain sources. This can be done in the Home with Alice app: Settings - Content - Show with Alice.

Now it is easier to be aware of interesting events in the city - their announcements will be displayed on the main screen of the Duo Max Station. You need to go to Settings - Display - Poster and choose what events you want to see in the recommendations. To learn more about the upcoming event, you can simply click on the "More" button, and Alice will show all the details in the built-in Browser. And when during listening you need to go to another section, just say Alice "Next" - and she will immediately move on to the next block.

Now everyone can turn on the baby monitor mode on Yandex Station and receive sounds from the nursery directly to the phone. To do this, you need to invite loved ones to your Home and indicate who can turn on the baby monitor mode. To do this, you need to go to the "House with Alice" application, go to the card of the desired Station - Radionyanya.

When you need to give your loved ones or friends something important, you can send them messages directly to the smart speaker from your Station. Now, before reading the text, Alice will also notify them from which room or house the message came from.

Station users know how to call each other, so now extraneous sounds against the background will not interfere with the conversation - all thanks to the automatic suppression of external noise.

2023

For 5 years, Yandex has sold 8 million smart speakers

At the end of November 2023, Yandex named the number of sold smart speakers of its own design. For all the time, about 8 million devices were sold, 7 million of which are active gadgets.

In November [2023], the number of active Yandex Stations exceeded 7 million for the first time. This not only indicates an increase in interest in our smart speakers with Alice, but also shows that almost 9 out of 10 Stations ever sold continue to work and remain in demand, "said Sergei Melnik, project manager for Alice and Yandex smart devices.

Yandex named the number of sold smart speakers of its own design

He recalled that earlier in 2023 the company updated the Max Station and began selling the new Midi Station compact speaker. They went on sale at a price of 33 thousand and 15 thousand rubles, respectively. These contribute significantly to sales results, Melnik added.

Yandex also published statistics according to which from November 6 to 12, 2023, the company sold more than 143 thousand Yandex.Stations. In 83% of cases, columns were ordered in online stores or on marketplaces. Compared to the same period in 2022, sales of Stations almost doubled - from November 7 to 13, 2022, consumers bought 79 thousand devices.

In September 2023, Dmitry Masyuk, director of the Yandex search and advertising technologies business group, said in a conversation with RIA Novosti that Yandex smart devices occupy 90% of the Russian market, 15% of families in the country have speakers with Alice, but the company wants it to be in every house. According to analysts at F + tech-Marvel as of January 2023, Yandex's share in the Russian smart speaker market was 89%.

"Duo Max Station" presentation

On November 16, 2023, Yandex showed the Duo Max Station. It will become the flagship in the category of columns with a screen. Users will have a completely different experience of interacting with Alice - they will be able to see her answers and give commands not only by voice, but also by touch. Pre-order starts on November 28, 2023.

Thanks to the rotary touch screen, the device will fit into any interior. Alice's updated user-friendly interface allows you to solve different problems, and the rotary screen allows you to view a wide variety of content. Like all recent Yandex devices, Duo Max has a built-in Zigbee module for smart home management. And speakers and subwoofer will give users clear and detailed sound.

Presentation of "Midi Station"

Yandex on November 9, 2023 announced an updated column with Alice - Midi Station. It is a compact device with powerful surround sound, new Alice capabilities and a neural processor that speeds up the response to voice commands. And for Zigbee-enabled devices, voice commands work even without the Internet.

Thanks to the neural processor, Midi Station processes requests faster and more accurately. As a result, Alice responds better to commands and recognizes people by voice. She also learned to manage Zigbee-enabled devices without the Internet. For example, if the Internet disappears, you can still turn on the light with your voice or make it brighter. A powerful processor allows the speaker to process voice commands locally without sending them to the cloud. And the built-in Zigbee module makes it possible to interact with Zigbee devices directly.

At Midi Station, Alice is able to run smart home scenarios when she hears human speech. For example, you can set such a scenario so that in the morning Alice herself turns on the kettle and music as soon as she hears her voices. This was made possible by the introduction of the Voice activity detector (VAD). You can enable the function and configure scripts in the Home with Alice application.

The column sounds clean and powerful, despite its size. It has three speakers with a total power of 24 W - such a speaker can be installed in both the bedroom and the living room. A low-frequency speaker was developed specifically for Midi, which is responsible for deep bass. It is supported by two high-frequency speakers, and Room correction technology adapts sound to the acoustics of the room.

Midi Station is equipped with a display, LED backlight and has a compact body that repeats the outlines of Station 2. The display shows the time and weather outside the window, complementing the forecast with a warm or cold glow of circular LED backlight. It also reflects Alice's emotions and reactions - users from any part of the room will see that she heard the request.

Russia Belarus Kazakhstan Sales of Midi Station will open simultaneously on,, and November 16. In the first two at the countries start, the column will be available in black and emerald, and in - Kazakhstan in black. Later, gray will appear.

2021

Second generation smart speaker announcement

On December 8, 2021, the presentation of the second generation Yandex.Station smart speaker took place. One of the main differences between the novelty and the first generation of devices is the use of advanced speakers with a total power of 30 W and a special acoustic array, which has an aperiodic structure and less distorts the sound passing through it.

The gadget can be combined into a stereo pair with any other Yandex speaker. In design, the new "Station" is similar in shape to the first generation column, while having a thinner silhouette.

Yandex introduced a second generation smart speaker

According to Yandex, the Alice ring has turned into a full-fledged luminous panel and shimmers, following the music and reactions of the voice assistant. The new station will be available in four colors: anthracite, cobalt, sand and copper.

With the voice assistant "Alice" you can now communicate with a whisper so as not to interfere with loved ones - in response, the assistant will also lower the voice. The developers note that "Alice" mastered the whisper in several stages: at first she learned to understand when a person whispers; then she trained to distinguish between a whisper and a voice with a cold; and then learned to whisper and switch between different kinds of speech.

Yandex.Station of the second generation can interact with other devices without the Internet through the Zigbee smart home protocol. For example, smart sockets, switches, sensors can be connected to it.

In the future, the speaker will support the Matter protocol - a single standard for smart home devices, and the Home with Alice mobile application will also appear to control a smart home from a smartphone.

Yandex.Station of the second generation will go on sale in the first half of 2022. By December 8, 2021, the cost of the product is not called. By this day, Yandex had sold a total of more than 2 million smart speakers.^[1]

Announcement of a smart speaker smart speaker "Mini Station" with a display and 10W sound

On October 5, 2021, Yandex announced the launch of the new Mini Station smart speaker on the market. She received a display that displays time, weather forecast and other information.

Another innovation is to increase the sound power to 10 W. In the first model, the figure was 3 watts. Also, the device can still be connected to an external audio system through an AUX connector. And in order to get the effect of spatial sound, you can combine the speakers into a "stereo pair," the manufacturer noted.

Yandex introduced a smart speaker with a 10 W screen and sound

In addition to musical changes, Mini Station lost an ultrasonic sensor for gesture control - instead, touch buttons appeared on the top surface.

Improved Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modules were also installed in the updated speaker, and instead of gesture control, the device is now controlled by touch buttons on the top panel. The number of available colors has expanded - blue and red of the same shades as the most expensive Yandex speaker, Max Station, have been added to white and black.

The cost of the smart speaker "Station Mini"  with and without a screen is 6990 and 5990 rubles, respectively. Sales will begin on October 14, 2021. and the start of sales to buyers will be presented with speakers for three months of Yandex Plus subscription.

Simultaneously with the Yandex column, he presented a new TV module for it. This device allows you to watch films and TV series from the collection of the KinoPoisk HD online cinema, videos from the Internet, TV channels, and also include music. The device has a microphone, thanks to which you can access the voice assistant "Alice."

The module that makes any TV smart connects to its HDMI port and works via Wi-Fi. The device will cost 4990 rubles, buyers will receive a Yandex Plus subscription for a year at once.^[2]

Growth in sales of smart speakers to 1.3 million units in 3 years

On March 11, 2021, Yandex first revealed sales of its smart speakers. By this time, since May 2018, about 1.3 million Yandex.Station devices have been sold. In 2020 alone, the company's revenue in this market reached 4 billion rubles.

Most of the sales of smart speakers for all the time fell on the first model, which Yandex released in 2018, and the Mini Station in 2019. The remaining share was taken by the "Max Station," presented in November 2020, and the "smart" speakers of partners, in which the voice assistant "Alice" is installed. Yandex does not name specific shares.

Sales of Yandex smart speakers have grown to 1.3 million units in 3 years

By March 11, 2021, Alice is used in JBL Link Portable, JBL Link Music, Prestigio Smartmate Mayak Edition, LG XBOOM, Irbis A, Elary SmartBeat, Dexp Smartbox smart speakers. The main skills and skills of the voice assistant are available in all devices, noted in Yandex.

We are very pleased that people like the columns with "Alice." From the visionary technological experiment, they grew into a really massive product, and this is a great success, "says Andrei Zakodov, head of the Alisa project. Already more than a million columns with Alice help people listen to music, watch movies and manage a smart home. We actively continue to develop Alice and our line of smart devices and are confident that this market will continue to grow.

According to the research company GfK, cited by Yandex, in 2020, 91% of the devices sold were with Alice in the category of "smart" speakers.

According to a Forbes source in the audio device market (home and portable acoustics), devices with Alice accounted for 15% of sales, and JBL devices came first. At the same time, in December, Yandex almost caught up with JBL in sales: each company accounted for about a third of sales.^[3]

2019

Announcement of Yandex.Station mini with gesture recognition function

On October 9, 2019, Yandex introduced the Yandex.Station Mini smart speaker, which received a gesture control function. With their help, for example, you can adjust the volume and turn off the device.

The novelty is equipped with four built-in microphones so that the voice assistant "Alice" hears commands in a large room without the need to raise the voice. Built-in microphones can be turned off if necessary using a special button on the case.

Yandex introduced a smart speaker that recognizes gestures

But unlike the original "Station," the new version does not have a video output for connecting, for example, to a TV.

According to Yandex, the gadget with the voice assistant Alice is able to replace the radio, audio speaker, alarm clock and smart home control system. The speaker can turn on the timer in the kitchen, tell the children a fairy tale, set an alarm or turn on the music.

In addition, on the command "Alice, give the sound," the column turns into a synthesizer with several instrumental styles, including the sounds of swords and pots. It can be played by moving your hands in the air.

Composer and musician Peter Theremin, great-grandson of theremin inventor Lev Theremin, experimental musician Anton Maskeliade and Monoleak studio took part in the development of the styles. 

We are convinced that the future is for voice assistants, because in many cases it is easy to say - it is much more convenient and natural than pressing buttons  , - said  Mikhail Bilenko, head of the Yandex machine intelligence and research department.

The start of sales of Yandex.Station Mini is scheduled for October 31, 2019. You can buy a smart speaker on the Yandex service I Take and on the Svyaznoy network. The cost of the device will be 3990 rubles.

Each buyer will receive as a gift three months of Yandex.Plus subscription, from which you can listen to any tracks on Yandex.Music, receive discounts and additional opportunities on other Yandex services. 

In Belarus and Kazakhstan

In Belarus, users will have access to a single subscription to Yandex.Plus services and the ability to purchase a smart speaker, Kommersant writes. "Plus" and "Station" are important elements of the Yandex ecosystem, which makes people's lives easier and more convenient. "Plus" will give our users in Belarus new opportunities, and "Station" will allow solving many everyday tasks in a new way - using a voice interface, "commented Yevgeny Lashkevich, Yandex Development Director in Belarus in August 2019.

Yandex.Station will be sold in the Belarusian networks "Fifth Element," "In Touch" and in the 21vek.by online store from August 14 at a price of 369 rubles. Column buyers will receive an annual Yandex.Plus subscription.

In addition, the Russian Internet company will begin selling Yandex.Station also in Kazakhstan. Sales in the Sulpak retail chain will start on August 6. A day earlier, speakers will receive those who pre-order.

Start of sales in all stores of the Svyaznoy - Euroset chain

On February 28, 2019, the combined company Coherent Euroset"" and Yandex"" announced the start of sales of Yandex.Station in all stores. retailer This is the first retail chain in which a "smart" Yandex speaker appeared - previously it was sold only on marketplace Beru and in the Yandex store and museum.

author '= David Borzilov, vice president of sales Svyaznoy - Euroset ' Smart technology products are changing our world before our eyes, and their popularity is only growing. For example, in 2018, sales of smart home equipment in our stores increased by 84% in monetary terms. The main reasons for the demand for such devices are the desire of users to save, resource efficiency, as well as comfort and security. We are confident in the great potential of Yandex.Station and believe that it will find its users in our stores.

We presented Yandex.Station in 2018. This is a fundamentally different kind of device - a smart speaker for home with voice assistant Alice. The station is in demand, and we want people to be able to buy it where they're comfortable. Therefore, a partnership with Svyaznoy is an important step for us: it is a large retailer, and it will be easy for customers to find a suitable store close to home.

The price of the Station is 9990 rubles.

2018

Voice Assistant Integration with KMS Lighthouse

On July 10, 2018, the company Yandex began selling smart speakers. Yandex.Station"" On the same day, the company, KMS Lighthouse a manufacturer ON in the field of knowledge management, offered the possibility of integrating the voice assistant, Alice which Yandex.Station is equipped with, with a knowledge base, which Knowledge Management System Lighthouse will allow Alice to work as a consultant in a bank.

According to KMS Lighthouse experts, the station format is a good opportunity for Alice to "go" beyond the mobile assistant and become a full-fledged business assistant. Such an assistant will be able to work at a branch of a bank or mobile operator. Thanks to Alice's integration with the KMS Lighthouse knowledge base, the smart speaker will be able to answer customer questions, along with regular employees. It will be able to provide information on specific products and devices, work regulations and the current status of cases.

Alice's integration with KMS Lighthouse was made possible by the Dialogs "platform, which allowed the voice assistant to use not only public information, but also knowledge of the information base of third-party organizations. At the same time, additional control over access to information is provided at the level of the KMS Lighthouse system itself, the company emphasized.

Announcement

Yandex On May 29, 2018, the company introduced Yandex.Station, a home multimedia platform that became the first gadget designed by the company on its own.

Yandex.Station

Outwardly, Yandex.Station resembles a music column. It is capable of playing music, as well as finding and showing videos, TV shows and movies - if connected to a TV. The station is operated by voice assistant Alice.

Interacting with the Station is simple: the user says, Alice responds. However, if the smartphone captures what was said only when the user is nearby, then the station is able to distinguish between requests that sound at the other end of the room. As explained in Yandex, this is possible due to the fact that the Station does not have one microphone, but as many as seven. Together they form a microphone matrix - it allows the Station to determine where the voice comes from and cut off all extraneous sounds. According to the company, the device will understand the command, even if a window is open in the room, and asphalt is crushed under the window.

To appeal to the Station, it is enough to pronounce the activator word: "Alice" or "Yandex." The Station has two speech recognition modes: background and primary. In the background, it reacts only to activator words. If the activator word sounded, the Station understands that it is being addressed and switches to a full-fledged recognition mode, the company said. If desired and necessary, the microphone matrix can be turned off with one button, after which the device will stop responding even to activator words.

The platform is equipped with three speakers with a total power of 50 watts and two passive emitters and can work in stereo mode. For audiophiles, Yandex provided for the ability to remove the casing - then the tracks will sound without the slightest distortion.

According to the developers, the station retains the ability to understand the user, even when music plays from the speakers. To do this, the company has developed a set of technologies that subtract the outgoing from the incoming signal.

Inside Yandex.Station there is a computer with a Wi-Fi module - through it Alice goes on the Internet to search for information. At the same time, the station can be used as a regular Bluetooth speaker: connect it to a smartphone or tablet and listen to music from the device's memory.

Yandex did not specify the exact release date of the device, but reported that the cost of the station will be 9990 rubles. The company plans to constantly expand the capabilities of the multimedia platform.

Notes