Last Updated: 07/20/2020
In the last couple of years, the smart home assistant has become a popular demand, due to low cost and the ability to make your life easier with the command of your voice. According to billboard.com, “Almost half of US Consumers will own smart speakers in 2018, Say Study.” Smart speakers are no longer a Fad and are now a part of our everyday life.
“Smart speakers are becoming so popular, more people will use them than wearable tech products this year.”~Business Insider
You can thank Amazon for this growth since it controls 70 percent of the market but its competitors are catching up. Google’s more extensive language capabilities and search engine give it a leg up.
And we cannot forget about Apple HomePod who is late to the game of smart speakers, but with its superior sound quality and Apple ecosystem makes the HomePod not too far behind.
But which is the best pick?
These are the Top 3 Smart Home Assistant Smart Speakers:
Amazon Alexa Echo (click to check the current price on Amazon) – Amazon Alexa Echo has had the crown ever since it launched the competitive smart speaker in 2014. With over 100 thousand compatible devices, Alexa continues to grow exponentially in the smart home community. If you choose the Alexa echo, you won’t be disappointed.
Google Nest Audio (click to check the current price on BestBuy) – Google Assistant is actually catching up with its competitor Amazon Alexa. The reason for this is, Google has leverage with its search engine and this helps with complex questions. If you ask me, Google Nest Audio is a much more intelligent assistant when it comes to answering your questions.
Apple HomePod (click to check the current price on Bestbuy) – Apple Siri was actually the first virtual assistant integrated into a smartphone in October 2011. Today you have a voice assistant everywhere, from Amazon Echo to Google Home and I am sure there are more soon to come.
Apple Siri functionality is lacking compared to Alexa and other competitors. But don’t count Siri HomePod out just yet, with one of the best sounding wireless smart speakers on the market available and virtual assistant, Siri integrated, HomePod is worth considering.
Why I Picked Amazon Echo
Amazon Echo is usually the favorite pick for most buyers, and I can agree for several reasons. Personally, for me, Alexa is easy to set-up and simple to pair with my smart home devices. Yes, Google can answer your questions naturally but it’s still has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to Smart Home Integration. Here are additional reasons why I choose Amazon Alexa as the best option for your home:
- A powerful helper
Alexa is powered by Amazon. Ask it questions. Tell it to do or control things. It’s your own personal assistant, always ready to help.
- Control your smart home
Use your voice to control your compatible lights, thermostat, smart plugs, and more. Amazon Echo works with tens of millions of devices. You can also build your very own Alexa Gadgets fun and entertaining accessories that pair to compatible Echo devices via Bluetooth using the Alexa Gadgets Toolkit. “Alexa set the thermostat to 76 degrees.”
- Affordable and convenient services
If you are already a member of Amazon Prime, Alexa can be convenient for shopping, shipping, and deals. Other products that are owned by Amazon, such as the security system, have no long-term contract and monthly monitoring cost is only $10 per month or $100 for the entire year at no extra cost!
- Bring your music to life, using only your voice
Amazon echo’s high-excursion speaker delivers a big, rich sound in a compact size. “Alexa, listen to Discover Weekly on Spotify.”
- Your voice. Your info
Get personalized responses for you and others in your home with voice recognition. “Alexa, when is my first meeting tomorrow?”
Fun for the whole family
Learn something new, play fun games, and listen to stories with the Amazon Echo. Want to tell the kids breakfast is ready? Alexa, announce, breakfast is ready.”
- Entertainment, hands-free
Use your voice to or stream shows, movies, and more to your TV with Fire TV Cube
