Which smart speakers should you get to control your automated home?
Having a voice-activated smart home controller makes your home even more accessible. Being able to change the temperature of your home or lock the front door just by saying a few voice commands makes your house feel fully automated–and there are two main contenders for who has the best voice-activated smart speakers. Amazon’s Echo, which uses their personal assistant Alexa, and Google’s Home, which has been around for a much shorter time. What features do these smart speakers offer to convince you one way or the other?
Amazon Echo & Alexa
The Amazon Echo typically costs more than Google’s Home, but it does–as of now–have more partnerships, therefore more control over your home. The main Echo unit doesn’t have an output to a separate home sound system like the Google Home does (though only via ChromeCast), but you can opt for the smaller Echo Dot device, which has an audio output but a weaker built-in speaker. Amazon is less about the entertainment features and more about being a personal assistant. You can order pizza or arrange an Uber pickup just by waking Alexa up and asking her to do so.
Staying Home With Google
The Google Home are smart speakers that are meant to be an entertainment powerhouse, especially when combined with Google’s other hardware and software. For example, if you’ve got a Chromecast and Chromecast Audios set up to your TVs and speakers, you can use voice commands to set up streaming between all of your devices. It lacks the personal assistant features of Amazon’s Echo, and doesn’t pair with quite as many smart home technology companies, but it is a great option if you’ve already got Google on your side.
Smart Speakers to Connect Your home
As of now, there’s no clear winner–it really depends on what your needs are. If you want the personal assistant features for scheduling purposes or just easy access to apps and smart home tech you may already have, the Amazon Echo is definitely the winner. If you’re more about entertainment, go all out and get yourself a Google Home, a Chromecast for every TV in the house, and Chromecast Audios for all of your speaker needs. Either way, these smart speakers will help your home get connected.
Invest in Smart Speakers Now!
Ready to control your home with smart speakers? Integrated Technologies Group has the expertise and great prices to make it happen. We have been providing Maryland residents with top-notch home theater services, home security services, and home automation services for over a decade. We work throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Delaware, and West Virginia. Ready to get a quote to make your smart home dreams a reality? Give us a call at 1-877-560-3280 or visit us online. For more informative articles, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+.
