Like other tier 1 operators, Telefonica is facing a battle to retain customers not just for the primary TV service but also for control of the smart home where Google and Amazon in particular have made great inroads on the back of voice-driven assistants. But Telefonica differs from most rivals in favoring a dedicated device, its Movistar Home gateway, to host the UI for converged services, rather than the TV itself or the smartphone which the user probably already has. Telefonica’s pitch is that the device doubles as the remote controlling the TV service while also incorporating its AI-based apps and algorithms for smart home functions. It can also host third party apps that integrate with the TV service for…