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Amazon’s Echo family has finally got some real competition – Google Home line of devices, aimed squarely at Amazon’s equivalent Echo line of devices. Since this is a competition at a high level emerging technology, for products that are going to change our life style totally and tahe the present world to a different level altogether. But What are the products?
It is not about Bluetooth speakers. It is about speakers that live in your house, permanently plugged in and connected to the internet, which you can command using your voice. It is about about “Smart Speakers” with many features.
In the case of Amazon’s Echo line, you’re speaking to Alexa; in the case of Google’s Home line, you’re speaking to Google Assistant. Now both have equal number of products almost with similar features. But which to buy? That’s the confusion. So, let’s have a look at their products and then decide.
Product No. 1:- Amazon Echo Dot vs Google Home Mini
Price: Amazon Echo Dot: $50 – Google Home Mini: $50
Their Features:
Amazon Echo Dot: Amazon’s Echo Dot is an Echo in every way except loudness — we’re talking about a tiny little device. If you were expecting serious sound out of this little hockey puck, you’ve got another thing coming: The Dot is an extension device, enabling you to network your Echo devices and play music in multiple rooms. You could use the Dot as an alarm clock, or you could just use it to hear the morning headlines (“Alexa, tell me the news”).
Google Home Mini: Like the Dot, Google Home Mini is an extension device. It does everything that the Dot does, but it has one notable difference: A broadcast feature. Here’s how it works: Say you’re a parent, and you’re in the garage waiting by your car for your kids to come downstairs. You’ve got a Home Mini in the garage, and various Home devices all over your house. You ask Home Mini to broadcast the message, “Get down to the garage before I freak out.” And it will! Pretty fresh.
Now which should I buy?
Product No. 2:- Amazon Echo vs Google Home
Price: Amazon Echo: $100 – Google Home: $130
Their Features:
Amazon Echo: Amazon’s main Echo device is capable of playing music, giving you directions, ordering you an Uber, and a whole mess of other things. You can ask Alexa to re-order items from Amazon, or you can ask Alexa how far Pluto is from Earth. It’s the gold standard in smart speakers, and the second-generation speaker both costs less and looks better than the first model.
Google Home: Google’s main Home device is nearly identical, in terms of functionality, to Amazon’s main Echo. It can play your music and answer questions and whatever else, all powered by “Google Assistant” — the name for Google’s smart-ish AI assistant (Google’s Siri, in so many words).
Which should I buy?
Product No 3:- Amazon Echo Plus – Google Home Max
Price: Amazon Echo Plus: $150 – Google Home Max: $400
Their Features:
Amazon Echo Plus: Amazon’s Echo Plus can do everything a standard Echo can do, but it has better speakers and a built-in smart home hub. Normally, if you want to, say, control your Phillips Hue lights with an Echo, you have to teach it that “skill” — meaning, you go into the Alexa app and activate that particular ability before you can freely use it. In the case of the Echo Plus, it can detect and connect to stuff like that automatically. The Plus is a vision of the future of the Echo, and what Amazon’s after: a connected smart home, controlled by voice, using Echo devices that are connected to smart lights and TVs and whatever else.
Google Home Max: If you’re big into audio, the Google Home Max is for you. If you’re not, the Google Home Max is very much not for you. This device is more of a speaker than a smart device, though it certainly does everything that all the other Google Home devices do. It’s got Google Assistant built in, and you can order a pizza from Domino’s (or whatever), but the real idea with the Home Max is to take on stuff like the Sonos Play 5 speaker and Apple’s upcoming HomePod. To drive this point all the way home (get it?), Google introduced the Home Max with a video starring Diplo. If you don’t know who that is, this speaker definitely isn’t meant for you.
Which should I buy?
Now that you have the details about the products, you will be easily able to select the products you want to buy, No? Try to select your choice of products and share your comments and i shall share my views.
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