PRODUCT REVISIT - Google Home
(Sunflower - Post Malone)
For those of you who have following my blog for awhile, you’ll know that this isn’t the first time I’ve taken an in-depth look at Google’s Home hardware. That said, until yesterday, I only had Google Home Minis and a Google Home Hub. I recently had the opportunity to swap out my Google Home Hub for a normal, full-sized Google Home. Here are my observations:
- The normal-sized Google Home is the first of what is now a robust line of Google products in this segment and I have to say that I’m absolutely blown away by the fact that this thing was Google’s first outing. It’s amazing. It’s visually pleasing, a piece of cake to set up, has the insane levels of functionality found with Google’s A.I, and right now, you can buy one for $100. That’s just mind-boggling to me.
- The difference in audio quality alone between the Google Mini and the Google Home is staggering. Just listening to the voice coming out of both products, the Google Home’s speakers are clearly superior. This, from a base unit that really isn’t much larger overall than the Google Mini, and from a unit that’s significantly smaller than Amazin’s comparable Echo Standard unit. Again, mind-boggling. It’s not a HiFi system, by any means — Amazon’s Echo Standard isn’t either, mind you — but for people casually listening to music, it’s not just adequate, it’s downright impressive.
- The Google Home is just FAST. I noticed a significant difference in the processing times of verbal commands given to the Google Home Minis vs. the Amazon Echo Dots that I used to own. Amazon’s system responded much faster to my queries for information and control over my home electronics. The full-sized Google Home closes that gap completely. I have to assume that it’s because of the gubbins inside of the full-sized rig. Regardless, the system is FAST, and for someone who interacts verbally with his Google Home a great deal, this is wonderful. It’s so wonderful that I’m strongly considering buying another one to replace my Google Home Mini in my living room.
- Something else that I’m going to chalk up to the hardware platform is the excellent microphone sensitivity. Neither the Mini or the Hub did a bad job, but the Home’s ability to pick out what I’m saying in a room full of noise, even at a distance, is notably superior.
- Lastly, and this is way less important, but I have to say something about Google’s packaging game. For a long time, Apple had the market cornered on space-conscious packaging that was also elegant and had a feeling of quality to it. Having recently purchased a few new Apple products, I have to say that the overall quality of their packaging feels far less ‘premium’ than it used to. In contrast, the packaging for the Google Home that I just brought home — Thanks, Aaron, you magnificent bastard — feels top shelf. Materials felt top-shelf without being wasteful, use of space within the package was excellent, and the presentation of the product within the packaging was better than anything I’ve ever seen Apple do.
I have long-maintained that, with one very specific exception, this type of technology is beyond the pale of a convenience, even in the first world that I live in. That said, Google took the very intelligent step of making sure that I felt like I was getting my money’s worth with this product. Not only do I not regret getting one of these things, I’ll absolutely be buying another one.
For those of you who have following my blog for awhile, you’ll know that this isn’t the first time I’ve taken an in-depth look at Google’s Home hardware. That said, until yesterday, I only had Google Home Minis and a Google Home Hub. I recently had the opportunity to swap out my Google Home Hub for a normal, full-sized Google Home. Here are my observations:
- The normal-sized Google Home is the first of what is now a robust line of Google products in this segment and I have to say that I’m absolutely blown away by the fact that this thing was Google’s first outing. It’s amazing. It’s visually pleasing, a piece of cake to set up, has the insane levels of functionality found with Google’s A.I, and right now, you can buy one for $100. That’s just mind-boggling to me.
- The difference in audio quality alone between the Google Mini and the Google Home is staggering. Just listening to the voice coming out of both products, the Google Home’s speakers are clearly superior. This, from a base unit that really isn’t much larger overall than the Google Mini, and from a unit that’s significantly smaller than Amazin’s comparable Echo Standard unit. Again, mind-boggling. It’s not a HiFi system, by any means — Amazon’s Echo Standard isn’t either, mind you — but for people casually listening to music, it’s not just adequate, it’s downright impressive.
- The Google Home is just FAST. I noticed a significant difference in the processing times of verbal commands given to the Google Home Minis vs. the Amazon Echo Dots that I used to own. Amazon’s system responded much faster to my queries for information and control over my home electronics. The full-sized Google Home closes that gap completely. I have to assume that it’s because of the gubbins inside of the full-sized rig. Regardless, the system is FAST, and for someone who interacts verbally with his Google Home a great deal, this is wonderful. It’s so wonderful that I’m strongly considering buying another one to replace my Google Home Mini in my living room.
- Something else that I’m going to chalk up to the hardware platform is the excellent microphone sensitivity. Neither the Mini or the Hub did a bad job, but the Home’s ability to pick out what I’m saying in a room full of noise, even at a distance, is notably superior.
- Lastly, and this is way less important, but I have to say something about Google’s packaging game. For a long time, Apple had the market cornered on space-conscious packaging that was also elegant and had a feeling of quality to it. Having recently purchased a few new Apple products, I have to say that the overall quality of their packaging feels far less ‘premium’ than it used to. In contrast, the packaging for the Google Home that I just brought home — Thanks, Aaron, you magnificent bastard — feels top shelf. Materials felt top-shelf without being wasteful, use of space within the package was excellent, and the presentation of the product within the packaging was better than anything I’ve ever seen Apple do.
I have long-maintained that, with one very specific exception, this type of technology is beyond the pale of a convenience, even in the first world that I live in. That said, Google took the very intelligent step of making sure that I felt like I was getting my money’s worth with this product. Not only do I not regret getting one of these things, I’ll absolutely be buying another one.
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