Since the search engine giant has introduced Google Home in its I/O 2016 conference, we are hearing a lot of comparisons to decide which is better in Google Home vs. Amazon Echo.
Well, Google Home is intended to compete against Amazon’s widely popular smart speaker, so it is obvious people want to know which one is worth buying. So, here begins the battle of the smart speakers: Google Home vs. Amazon Echo.
Google Home vs. Amazon Echo Comparison
Design
Both the speakers are cylindrically shaped. Amazon’s Echo comes in a matte black finish and is much taller than Google Home which is smaller and features a plain white body. The Echo has a blue ring at its top that glows to indicate it’s working while Home has four different colored LED lights on the top that pops up when it’s interacting with you.
The bottom modular base of Home will be available in various colors, so users can swap the bottom half to match their décor. If you judge by design, I think Google Home with its petite and curvy design looks friendlier than Amazon Echo. However, some users might like Echo’s sleeker design that also conveys steadiness. So, consumers have to decide for themselves which one better matches their décor.
Sound
The main purpose of these so-called “smart speakers” is to have a better sound quality that would win audiophiles’ hearts. Amazon Echo is a great speaker with a good amount of bass that is enough to fill up a large room. On the other hand, Google claims that Home will have a lot of punch, sound-wise, but it is hard to say until it’s out. Also, due to its smaller size, Google will need to put some serious efforts to beat Echo’s sound quality. Until we know for sure that Home will provide “rich bass and clear highs” as promised by its team, Amazon Echo is a safe bet in the sound quality department.
Utility
Now let’s have a look at features that make Echo and Home different from those regular speakers. They are smart home managers that can help users with tasks through interactive conversations. Both Echo and Home provide various media abilities and work with smart home devices. Similar to Echo, Home can play music from services like iHeartRadio, Google Play Music, Pandora, TuneIn, and others. The plus side of Home is that it can play music to multiple speakers while Echo is not capable of doing that. In addition, Home can also connect with Chromecast-connected TV. Amazon’s speaker already works with plenty of smart-home devices and is compatible with various brands while the search engine giant hasn’t yet declared the name of manufacturers that Home will be compatible with.
Amazon Echo is activated with the keyword “Alexa” and is really good when it comes to voice recognition. So, Google has to buckle up to make its Home with a better voice recognition that can beat Amazon’s product. Home has an advantage as “OK Google” or “Hey Google” can also answer your questions by leveraging Google Search, making it more conversational. Home can also retain information once you ask a question and can accordingly answer the follow-up questions.
So, if everything Google promised turns out well, then in the battle of Google Home vs. Amazon Echo, Alexa needs to watch out.
