The Google Home smart device is finally here, and if everything goes according to plan, the Amazon Echo will have a capable competitor after over a year of being the top dog. From what most reviewers have to say, Google Home in many ways is smarter than the Amazon Echo, but the Echo has the upper hand with developer support.
For those who are wondering, the Google Home device is a smart speaker designed to make for a smarter home experience. It's the next step of making the smart home a true reality. After many decades, the Internet of Things is ready to take over our lives.
Now, compared to the Echo, the Google Home device is much smaller in height. It's also sleeker looking, and by that alone, the device could attract many would-be buyers. Not to mention, it relies heavily on Google's search technology, and it's the most comprehensive out there.
Because of this and the possible vast amount of personal data Google Search has collected, it should work much better than the Amazon Echo. Still, Google has some ways to go if it wants to topple Amazon in this space, and it won't be an easy road there.
Don't Take Our Word For It. Let The Critics Decide
The Verge - Dan Seifert: "Despite Google's wealth of knowledge about me and my habits, information I've been handing it for over a decade, I've really just found the Home to be useful for the same things I've been doing with the Echo for the last 18 months: playing music, controlling my lights, setting my alarm, and setting timers."
TechCrunch - Frederic Lardinois: "At the end of the day, you currently have two choices when you are looking for a voice-activated, AI-driven speaker in your living room: Google Home or one of Amazon's Echo devices. If I had to choose today, I'd pick a Google Home."
Engadget - Nathan Ingraham: "Right now, however, it's little more than a toy. It's fun and occasionally very convenient to ask it questions and have it perform simple tasks, but it's hardly an essential part of my life. But Google Home is worth keeping an eye on -- it will almost certainly be more capable in three months (or even three weeks) than it is now."
Wired - David Pierce: "As much as I wish Google Home lived up to its future promises, it's a fantastic addition to my living room right now. It's hard to describe how nice it is to play music just by asking for it, or turn on NPR without lifting a finger. You never realize how many times you pull out your phone for one tiny, insignificant thing, until you finally have a better way to do it."
Both Google and Amazon need to work quickly at improving their respective products, because if rumors hold true, Apple is making moves to enter the smart home space with its own smart speaker.
