PRODUCT COMPARISON: Amazon Echo vs. Google Home
(Born Ready - Gramatik)
The business of Home AI has been steadily growing for years now. The Internet Of Things is adding new devices every day, and companies like Amazon and Google are eager to help you control them all in as easy a fashion as possible, all while pulling you into their own ecosystems as deeply as you'll let them.
The two largest front-runners on the Home AI front right now are clearly Amazon and Google. Both companies offer a variety of Home AI devices from their own label, and have partnered with a variety of additional device vendors to integrate their services into their products. For those considering a dip of the toes into this world, there's one question that gets asked more than any other:
"Which one is better?"
The answer to that question is somewhat complex: "It depends entirely on how you want to use them." Here are some of the differences between the two platforms:
A.I. PLATFORM - Advantage: Google
The single biggest feature on both sets of devices are their A.I. platforms. If you're interested in being able to ask questions to your device and get contextually accurate information back, there's no question that Google has the upper hand here. Amazon doesn't do a bad job, but it feels like you're working with a robot rather than an actual assistant, and the responses generated to anything but the most basic of queries feel canned and limited. Google -IS- the internet, and it shows. You can ask Google Home more questions, get more answers, and do it in a far more organic fashion. Don't misunderstand me, Amazon's A.I. platform isn't bad. I've been working with it for over a year. It's just not Google. For example, I have smart lights in my kitchen and my dining room. With Alexa, I had ask it to turn off one room, and then submit a second voice request to turn off the lights in the other room. To get around this, I had to rubber band all of those lights together into an imaginary 'room'. With Google, you can just ask it to turn off the kitchen and dining room lights, and it just...works. I didn't notice it the first time I did it because the request I made just felt so natural. You just don't get that with Amazon Alexa.
AUDIO - Advantage: Google
Next to data queries, the next big thing that people really lean on their Home AI system for is media consumption. Google is clearly ahead of the game here as well. Across the board, Google's various devices offer audio quality that is as good as, or better than, Amazon's devices. This is especially apparent with the smallest devices in each company's product ranges. The audio produced through the Amazon Echo Dot isn't good for anything other than quiet, casual listening. Google's Home Mini is -MUCH- louder and higher quality. When you step up into the medium size units like Google's Home and Amazon's full-sized Alexa, audio quality is comparable, with a small edge going to Amazon's unit simply due to size. Then you get into the larger devices, and Amazon has nothing to go toe to toe with Google's massive Home Max unit. If audio is one of your serious considerations, you look very hard at Google's offerings.
HARDWARE - It's A Tie!
Both companies offer a variety of devices at a variety of price-points to make it easy to put a device wherever you want in your home or office. Google offers high-end devices that Amazon doesn't, but Amazon offers a wider variety of devices to make sure you get exactly what you want. Aesthetically, I feel like Google has the advantage here. Their devices look more stylish and modern. Amazon's devices are a lot of hard edges and cold, smooth plastic. They've combatted this by selling swappable skins for their various devices to make them look different, but they certainly don't blend into the room the way that Google's devices do. Both companies offer their devices in a variety of colors and styles.
From a connectivity standpoint, both sets of devices offer comparable levels of external connectivity through AUX ports and Bluetooth.
SOFTWARE - It's A Tie!
Having used both systems, there's a lot of give and take on both the apps that drive each device and the function of the devices themselves. Much of what constitutes 'Good' vs. 'Bad' will come down to personal preference.
- App Install: Amazon's Alexa app feels pushy when you install it. It keeps asking for MORE. More personal data, more app permissions, more phone connectivity. Getting devices up and running feels cumbersome, and the entire app feels like their hardware: sharp, smooth, and cold. It's all very functional and -very- powerful, but the app feels huge and menus sometimes feel like they're one click too far away. In comparison, Google's Home app is bright, cheery, and very light-handed. You can get up and running very easily and integrating existing devices is easy and orderly. Google's app just feels less cluttered, and there are usually several different paths to getting to menu items depending on where you are within the app itself. Google's app just feels...unthreatening. Clean.
- In-App Functionality: I have to give the edge to Amazon here. Not only is Google lacking a few handy device-side features like Drop-In calling from one device to another -- yes, I know about Duo calling from one device to another, but that's not nearly as convenient and requires a lot of additional setup. -- but Amazon's handling of devices and rooms is much better. Google will only allow you to assign a device to a single room, and once it's been assigned to that room, it cannot be assigned to a second room. It can only ever be attached to a single room. In contrast, Amazon will let you assign one device to as many rooms and 'areas' as you like. There are ways to get around this with Google Home, but you shouldn't have to 'get around' it. What Amazon has done is common sense. Google should have been paying attention. In addition, Amazon's library of attachable A.I. Skills is absolutely massive. Google's own library isn't exactly small, but it can't hold a candle to Amazon's collection of additions. Power users will want to weigh this very carefully.
Oh, one more thing. Amazon really, REALLY wants you to spend money with them. Almost every functionality wall that you run into with Amazon's A.I. will prompt you to sign up for a service that gets over that wall. Want to listen to a song? Buy Amazon's service! Want to add something to a grocery list? Buy it RIGHT NOW from Amazon! Want to watch a movie clip? BUY THE MOVIE! Amazon is super duper willing to help you spend money.
- External Services: Both Google and Amazon will allow you to connect to a host of additional services for things like music and video. Fundamentally, I'm going to have to give the edge to Google here though, simply because their ecosystem of services is not only massive, but mostly inaccessible through Amazon. I'm looking at you, Google Play Music and YouTube. I know that Amazon has their own ecosystem that they're trying to promote and that they're blocking Google's content because of that, but this creates a bit of a hole when you run into a lack of parity. There is no Amazon equivalent to YouTube, and their music service requires an extra level of membership to gain access to unlimited content. Conversely, Google isn't exactly winning here either. There are a variety of Google services that can't easily be linked to using the Google Home app but are supposedly supported, such as Drive connectivity for the Google Home Hub. You're going to be doing a lot of online research to get to some of the really deep levels of connectivity with either of these device ecosystems.
DEVICE SUPPORT - Advantage: Amazon
The simple truth is that Amazon has been in the game longer, so more devices have been designed to work with their Alexa devices. In the no-nonsense numbers game, Amazon supports more stuff. What does this mean to you? Well, it's actually less impactful than you might think. While Amazon supports more devices than Google does, the vast majority of that difference rests in smaller IoT device vendors. The big boys like Nest, Phillips Hue, LIFX, Ring, WeMo, and SmartThings are supported equally well by both systems, and there are easy ways to tell which ecosystems your potential purchase will work with.
To close, each of these systems has their pros and cons, and enjoyment of each system will largely depend on what you want to get out of this magical technology of the future. More than ever, it's important to do your research before you commit to buying new tech. The good news is, you don't have to compromise much. Between these two great vendors, you're rather spoiled for choice.
Personal Observations:
- Google Home was SO MUCH EASIER to set up than Alexa was. Everything just felt smoother, more easily managed. There was never any guesswork, never any wondering if something would function properly. It worked the first time right out of the chute, worked quickly, and worked well.
- If someone held a gun to my head, I'd swear that the Echo Dots in my home had more sensitive microphones than my Google Home Hub and Minis do. I have yet to get a single 'False Positive' in terms of activation with Google Home. Conversely, I've found that I have to be a little louder with Google Home in noisy environments to get its attention.
- I haven't gotten a stopwatch out and tested it yet, but I'd swear that my Echo Dots communicate more quickly with my peripherals. There feels like a half second additional delay in Google Home responding to my device-based requests such as controlling my lights or thermostat.
- Whoever thought that tiny 6" screen on the Google Hub was going to be large enough was out of their minds. It's so very, very small.
The business of Home AI has been steadily growing for years now. The Internet Of Things is adding new devices every day, and companies like Amazon and Google are eager to help you control them all in as easy a fashion as possible, all while pulling you into their own ecosystems as deeply as you'll let them.
The two largest front-runners on the Home AI front right now are clearly Amazon and Google. Both companies offer a variety of Home AI devices from their own label, and have partnered with a variety of additional device vendors to integrate their services into their products. For those considering a dip of the toes into this world, there's one question that gets asked more than any other:
"Which one is better?"
The answer to that question is somewhat complex: "It depends entirely on how you want to use them." Here are some of the differences between the two platforms:
A.I. PLATFORM - Advantage: Google
The single biggest feature on both sets of devices are their A.I. platforms. If you're interested in being able to ask questions to your device and get contextually accurate information back, there's no question that Google has the upper hand here. Amazon doesn't do a bad job, but it feels like you're working with a robot rather than an actual assistant, and the responses generated to anything but the most basic of queries feel canned and limited. Google -IS- the internet, and it shows. You can ask Google Home more questions, get more answers, and do it in a far more organic fashion. Don't misunderstand me, Amazon's A.I. platform isn't bad. I've been working with it for over a year. It's just not Google. For example, I have smart lights in my kitchen and my dining room. With Alexa, I had ask it to turn off one room, and then submit a second voice request to turn off the lights in the other room. To get around this, I had to rubber band all of those lights together into an imaginary 'room'. With Google, you can just ask it to turn off the kitchen and dining room lights, and it just...works. I didn't notice it the first time I did it because the request I made just felt so natural. You just don't get that with Amazon Alexa.
AUDIO - Advantage: Google
Next to data queries, the next big thing that people really lean on their Home AI system for is media consumption. Google is clearly ahead of the game here as well. Across the board, Google's various devices offer audio quality that is as good as, or better than, Amazon's devices. This is especially apparent with the smallest devices in each company's product ranges. The audio produced through the Amazon Echo Dot isn't good for anything other than quiet, casual listening. Google's Home Mini is -MUCH- louder and higher quality. When you step up into the medium size units like Google's Home and Amazon's full-sized Alexa, audio quality is comparable, with a small edge going to Amazon's unit simply due to size. Then you get into the larger devices, and Amazon has nothing to go toe to toe with Google's massive Home Max unit. If audio is one of your serious considerations, you look very hard at Google's offerings.
HARDWARE - It's A Tie!
Both companies offer a variety of devices at a variety of price-points to make it easy to put a device wherever you want in your home or office. Google offers high-end devices that Amazon doesn't, but Amazon offers a wider variety of devices to make sure you get exactly what you want. Aesthetically, I feel like Google has the advantage here. Their devices look more stylish and modern. Amazon's devices are a lot of hard edges and cold, smooth plastic. They've combatted this by selling swappable skins for their various devices to make them look different, but they certainly don't blend into the room the way that Google's devices do. Both companies offer their devices in a variety of colors and styles.
From a connectivity standpoint, both sets of devices offer comparable levels of external connectivity through AUX ports and Bluetooth.
SOFTWARE - It's A Tie!
Having used both systems, there's a lot of give and take on both the apps that drive each device and the function of the devices themselves. Much of what constitutes 'Good' vs. 'Bad' will come down to personal preference.
- App Install: Amazon's Alexa app feels pushy when you install it. It keeps asking for MORE. More personal data, more app permissions, more phone connectivity. Getting devices up and running feels cumbersome, and the entire app feels like their hardware: sharp, smooth, and cold. It's all very functional and -very- powerful, but the app feels huge and menus sometimes feel like they're one click too far away. In comparison, Google's Home app is bright, cheery, and very light-handed. You can get up and running very easily and integrating existing devices is easy and orderly. Google's app just feels less cluttered, and there are usually several different paths to getting to menu items depending on where you are within the app itself. Google's app just feels...unthreatening. Clean.
- In-App Functionality: I have to give the edge to Amazon here. Not only is Google lacking a few handy device-side features like Drop-In calling from one device to another -- yes, I know about Duo calling from one device to another, but that's not nearly as convenient and requires a lot of additional setup. -- but Amazon's handling of devices and rooms is much better. Google will only allow you to assign a device to a single room, and once it's been assigned to that room, it cannot be assigned to a second room. It can only ever be attached to a single room. In contrast, Amazon will let you assign one device to as many rooms and 'areas' as you like. There are ways to get around this with Google Home, but you shouldn't have to 'get around' it. What Amazon has done is common sense. Google should have been paying attention. In addition, Amazon's library of attachable A.I. Skills is absolutely massive. Google's own library isn't exactly small, but it can't hold a candle to Amazon's collection of additions. Power users will want to weigh this very carefully.
Oh, one more thing. Amazon really, REALLY wants you to spend money with them. Almost every functionality wall that you run into with Amazon's A.I. will prompt you to sign up for a service that gets over that wall. Want to listen to a song? Buy Amazon's service! Want to add something to a grocery list? Buy it RIGHT NOW from Amazon! Want to watch a movie clip? BUY THE MOVIE! Amazon is super duper willing to help you spend money.
- External Services: Both Google and Amazon will allow you to connect to a host of additional services for things like music and video. Fundamentally, I'm going to have to give the edge to Google here though, simply because their ecosystem of services is not only massive, but mostly inaccessible through Amazon. I'm looking at you, Google Play Music and YouTube. I know that Amazon has their own ecosystem that they're trying to promote and that they're blocking Google's content because of that, but this creates a bit of a hole when you run into a lack of parity. There is no Amazon equivalent to YouTube, and their music service requires an extra level of membership to gain access to unlimited content. Conversely, Google isn't exactly winning here either. There are a variety of Google services that can't easily be linked to using the Google Home app but are supposedly supported, such as Drive connectivity for the Google Home Hub. You're going to be doing a lot of online research to get to some of the really deep levels of connectivity with either of these device ecosystems.
DEVICE SUPPORT - Advantage: Amazon
The simple truth is that Amazon has been in the game longer, so more devices have been designed to work with their Alexa devices. In the no-nonsense numbers game, Amazon supports more stuff. What does this mean to you? Well, it's actually less impactful than you might think. While Amazon supports more devices than Google does, the vast majority of that difference rests in smaller IoT device vendors. The big boys like Nest, Phillips Hue, LIFX, Ring, WeMo, and SmartThings are supported equally well by both systems, and there are easy ways to tell which ecosystems your potential purchase will work with.
To close, each of these systems has their pros and cons, and enjoyment of each system will largely depend on what you want to get out of this magical technology of the future. More than ever, it's important to do your research before you commit to buying new tech. The good news is, you don't have to compromise much. Between these two great vendors, you're rather spoiled for choice.
Personal Observations:
- Google Home was SO MUCH EASIER to set up than Alexa was. Everything just felt smoother, more easily managed. There was never any guesswork, never any wondering if something would function properly. It worked the first time right out of the chute, worked quickly, and worked well.
- If someone held a gun to my head, I'd swear that the Echo Dots in my home had more sensitive microphones than my Google Home Hub and Minis do. I have yet to get a single 'False Positive' in terms of activation with Google Home. Conversely, I've found that I have to be a little louder with Google Home in noisy environments to get its attention.
- I haven't gotten a stopwatch out and tested it yet, but I'd swear that my Echo Dots communicate more quickly with my peripherals. There feels like a half second additional delay in Google Home responding to my device-based requests such as controlling my lights or thermostat.
- Whoever thought that tiny 6" screen on the Google Hub was going to be large enough was out of their minds. It's so very, very small.
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