What Can Google Home Do That Alexa Can't

Both Google Dwelling and Amazon Alexa are voice assistants you can apply in a number of dissimilar means, but they do differ in some distinct ways.

Google and Amazon launched their respective voice platforms in Canada this year, yet they had already been available in other markets some time before. Amazon had the head start, launching Alexa back in 2014, whereas Google launched Home in the fall of 2016.

The footing for both is the aforementioned: say a command or enquire a question, and the vox assistant responds. You could ask near something specific to your location, or about a person, place or thing. You tin integrate compatible smart home devices and control those by voice too. Features abound the more you experiment and dig into them.

While designed to essentially exercise the aforementioned thing, there are some strengths and weaknesses to consider.

Hardware products

Google Domicile is available on 2 products thus far—the regular Google Habitation and the Home Mini. The chief difference betwixt those two is that the regular model has a bigger speaker. Otherwise, they pretty much function the same way, including far field microphones capable of hearing you lot from across a room.

Alexa is available on 3 products from Amazon—the Repeat, Echo Plus and Repeat Dot. They, besides, have far field microphones to listen from distance. The Echo and Echo Plus have the same speaker, more or less, though the Plus is much taller and has a born Zigbee hub assuasive it to connect to compatible smart habitation products without needing a hub or span.

The Echo Dot is like the Google Habitation Mini. Information technology's puck-shaped, and small enough to place near anywhere.

At that place are ii third-party speakers currently available that also integrate Alexa. The Ultimate Ears MegaBlast is one, with the Sonos One being the other. One caveat, however, is that Sonos won't unlock the Alexa integration until early 2018. Incidentally, the Sonos One may be the first speaker that will integrate both Alexa and Google Home, the latter of which will happen sometime after Alexa starts working.

Connectivity

With either platform, y'all demand a Wi-Fi connexion at home to get these devices to work. And, naturally, they need to be shut enough to a power outlet. They are likewise easy to set up. Just download the Google Abode or Alexa apps on your iOS or Android phone, and follow the steps.

Google Home supports casting devices, like the Chromecast and Chromecast Audio. So, for example, plug a Chromecast Audio into the Aux-In port of whatever speaker, and add it nether the Devices section in the app. If the speaker has casting built-in, there's no demand to buy a Chromecast Audio.

For Chromecast sticks you plug into TVs, Google Dwelling house can recognize those likewise. This allows you to play video content or music through the Idiot box by voice. It fifty-fifty works with Netflix, only it can't dig down to a specific episode or season of a show. Proper noun the show and it will start playing from the beginning or where you left off. With YouTube, you can have more flexibility to search for what you desire.

Neither the regular Home nor Home Mini support Bluetooth transmission, meaning you tin't pair information technology with another speaker to route audio there. You lot can practise it the other style, so that audio from your phone or tablet streams through the Dwelling's speaker.

The Repeat devices are considerably more than flexible in that regard. All 3 support Bluetooth streaming, letting you pair them with other speakers, if you want. They also have Aux-In ports in the back to plug in some other speaker with a cable. Google didn't include Aux-In ports for either one of its speakers.

Information technology's truthful that Repeat speakers won't recognize casting devices, so it won't know what a Chromecast Audio is. I would argue that's negated by the ability to connect some other speaker through wired or wireless means.

Of them all, the Echo Dot is the near attractive for such a purpose. Its tinny speaker isn't conducive to sustained audio playback, and so plugging information technology into something much bigger tin can make a huge departure.

What you tin say

For Google Home, saying "Hey, Google," "Ok, Google," or "Hi, Google," is necessary to wake it upwards and mind for a command. You lot know it'southward active when the lights at the peak start flashing.

For Alexa, starting your query with, "Alexa," is required to accept information technology wake up. You can change that, simply Echo, Amazon and Computer are your only other options.

In both cases, the platforms will know your proper noun, though they seem to practise better with Anglicized names. Still, ask what your proper name is, and meet what happens.

Listing what you can say would be too long for this article, merely you tin can always ask with either unit. Start off with, "What tin can I say?" and y'all will become a quick rundown. Information technology'due south not the aforementioned each time you ask, either, letting you get some feedback on more phrases. Each app will as well listing some of the things y'all tin can do, adding some other resources to peruse when looking to expand farther.

Much of the interaction centres on people, places, things and devices. Ask about something location-specific, like conditions, traffic or what fourth dimension a certain business concern closes for the solar day.

Think of it like doing a search online. How would you ask in that case? Apply that to either of these platforms, and they should respond in kind. The key is that phrasing matters because they may not understand what you lot hateful.

Google Habitation is more than conversational in that respect, with a voice that's a trivial less monotone. Plus, you tin cord two commands together at once. Saying, "Hey Google, play Drake on Spotify and set volume to seven," would do both those things. Alexa can't handle multiple commands in ane phrase, forcing you to practise them one at a time.

Smart home integration

Alexa has a singled-out advantage hither considering of the depth of its "Skills" section. Simply put, information technology integrates with a dizzying array of smart abode devices. From smart bulbs, smart locks, smart thermostats, security cameras and even Wi-Fi-enabled iRobot Roomba vacuums, the possibilities are pretty extensive.

The Alexa app has a "Discover" feature that scans for smart habitation devices in the dwelling. When it finds them, information technology and then makes information technology piece of cake to link your account for each device or service and then control them through phonation.

In contrast, Google Domicile supports a much shorter listing of smart home devices and services. Some key ones are in there, like Philips Hue, Nest, Ecobee, Honeywell, LiFX, Nanoleaf, Netatmo, Flash and Belkin WeMo. Alexa does support all of those likewise, so Google doesn't hold much in the mode of any exclusivity in that regard.

In add-on, Alexa tends to be further evolved when it comes to how deep the integration goes. For instance, Domicile could change the colour of your Hue lights, simply can't plough on scenes, like Alexa can. These sorts of restrictive smart home controls aren't uncommon for the Home, and while they could be stock-still in future updates, Google has some work to do to close the gap.

Music and audio integration

Spotify Premium subscribers are in the best position for this part because both platforms support the music streaming service with ataraxy. Ask for any song, artist, album, genre, mood, or playlist, and they oblige by starting the tunes. The Spotify app has an added advantage in that Alexa and Home-enabled speakers appear in the bottom device playback list.

Google also included support for its own Play Music service, with even the free tier working well. Ask for an artist or genre, and it will starting time playing. As a paid subscriber, you lot tin strop in much more to your ain playlists, artists and songs. Alexa tin't access anything on Play Music.

Radio stations and podcasts as well work well for both. Alexa can pull whatever is available from TuneIn, while Home can practise the same with Google Play Music, just can't pull in podcasts from TuneIn.

If you are a serial podcast listener, I would recommend enabling AnyPod as a skill on the Alexa app. Reason being that Alexa can only access the latest episode of a podcast series. AnyPod dives deeper, letting you lot subscribe and amend select the episode you want to hear. I haven't constitute a similar solution for Google Abode.

If you subscribe to Apple Music, you won't be able to access anything from that streaming service. The aforementioned goes for music files downloaded and stored on your telephone. Alexa and Home can't see them, so your just alternative is to utilize Bluetooth or casting to wirelessly stream them over to those speakers. From at that place, you can control playback, like pause, skip or repeat, only not which song to play.

If you lot like ambient noise, both support that past voice. Amazon has endless available every bit skills you tin can add, like fireplace, waterfall, white racket, wind, thunderstorms, and on and on. Google has plenty as well, but it usually leans on Spotify to provide them, so if y'all aren't a subscriber, your options may be limited.

Lastly, Echo devices can read Audible and Kindle audiobooks, so you lot can listen to a reading while relaxing or doing something else. In addition, the Echos tin can make phone calls, letting you reach out to contacts or dial numbers and talk from across the room.

Google Dwelling can as well do phone calls, except contacts demand to be in your Google contact list. Or, you can only call a business concern or dial a number. Home tin can't natively read aloud books, and can't access whatever Kindle titles, but yous could theoretically start information technology on your phone and so apply the casting button on your Android device (pull down the notification pane) to stream information technology over.

Getting things done

When it comes to the nuts, these ii are on the aforementioned folio. Set an alert to wake upwards, or a timer to stay on track with a job. Set a reminder to anything you demand to remember, or create a to-practice or shopping listing by voice. Both volition keep rails of everything.

Google Domicile has a congenital-in broadcasting characteristic allowing one to wirelessly circulate to all others. For example, if dinner is fix in the kitchen, tell the Home unit in there to circulate a message to the unit downstairs where the family unit is, letting them know.

Alexa has a like intercom feature, where you can tell ane Repeat to phone call another, after relaying any message you desire to send. This works best when each speaker has a different name, then as to avoid confusing responses.

Either unit can be very helpful in a multifariousness of household situations. Solving a friendly dispute over a particular fact or figure is ane, but you lot tin can go further. Alexa can admission recipes and help guide you forth. Y'all just need to add together a relevant skill, like Allrecipes, for case. Access its thousands of recipes on demand. Home is likewise an effective tool for cooking, with like shooting fish in a barrel to follow instructions.

Since Domicile has the breadth of Google'southward search engine at its disposal, searching for answers is pretty easy. Alexa essentially draws from the same data pool, so you may observe similarities here. Wikipedia is widely used for brief summaries on people, places, things and historical events.

Non sure what a word means? Need to know what 12% of 1,555 is? Desire to catechumen currency? Which teams are playing tonight in a sure league? Recite a famous quote from a popular figure? Not sure what song is playing? Merely enquire Alexa or Home.

Getting comfortable

Some Easter eggs and other components accept been included to attempt and make both platforms relatable and conversational. You tin can enquire either one to tell a joke, flip a coin, or otherwise say something interesting. Trivia games and other interactive elements are in there too. Here's what Home can do, and here's what Alexa tin do.

Both platforms are 'works in progress,' significant they are designed to continue getting better. They aren't finished products in that the software running their respective voice platforms will become updated regularly. That should lead to new features down the line to enhance what's already available.

The Amazon Echo, Repeat Dot and Echo Plus are available at present. You lot can also check out the Sonos Ane and Ultimate Ears MegaBlast.

The Google Home and Google Dwelling house Mini are also available now.

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Source: https://blog.bestbuy.ca/home-furniture-kitchen/home-lifestyle/comparing-google-home-amazon-alexa

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