What is the best smart speaker? Apple was the last great technology that took the step and in June 2017 it presented its new product, a smart speaker, the Apple HomePod, which will fight against all Amazon Echo and Google Home models. Is Apple’s New Smart Speaker Worth It Against Its Cheaper Competitors? Let’s see if you need a “Smart Speaker” at home.
First What is a smart speaker? It is a WIFI speaker taken to the extreme: they are capable of broadcasting music from your smartphone or tablet or from streaming services such as Google Play Music and Amazon Prime Music, but they are also capable of acting as personal assistants thanks to Siri, Alexa or Google. Assistant. An example? You get up in the morning and ask your speaker what the weather is going to do throughout the day. You will have the answer in a few seconds.
Amazon is leading the way with its Echo speakers, but things get interesting with Apple’s input and all Google models.
Table of Contents
Other smart speakers that are not from Google, Amazon or Apple
Eye! Did you know what other speaker brands include Alexa or Google Assistant assistants in any of their models? For example: Sonos. So many of our models also fall into the category of smart speakers.
What does this mean? You don’t have to go directly for a smart speaker from Amazon, Apple or Google… You can check our speaker posts to discover the best speaker options for quality and sound.
Apple HomePod vs Amazon Echo vs Google Home: design and sound
Design and versions
The Google Home y el Apple HomePod They are very similar in design, at least in the Google Home edition, for then we have two more options, the Google Home Mini (very cheap) and the Google Home Max. The Home is the one that can be more personalized with various colored bases.
Google subsequently introduced the Nest Hub, a kind of digital frame speaker to control your whole home.
The Amazon Echo looks more like a traditional speaker. The Amazon Echo comes with a remote in the United States, giving you extra control options. Eye! Amazon offers several versions of its popular smart speaker:
- Amazon Echo Dot: the cheapest and smallest version with a flattened cylinder shape
- Amazon Echo Plus: louder than Echo and with better sound
- Amazon Echo Spot: with a 2.5 ″ circular touch screen and perfect to put next to the bed (not available at this time).
- Amazon Echo Show 5, Echo Show 8 y Echo Show: with a 5.5 ″, 8 ″ and 10.1 ″ rectangular screen. It has a camera.
- Amazon Echo Studio: Smart speaker with high fidelity sound and Alexa
Which one sounds better?
Viewing its specifications, the Apple HomePod it has the upper hand with 7 tweeters and a 4 ″ woofer versus the 2 ″ tweeter on the Echo and its 2.5 ″ woofer and 2 ″ driver and dual 2 ″ passive radiators from the Google Home. Provides 360º sound.
Amazon’s Echo Studio provides great sound, too thanks to its 5 speakers and Dolby Atmos technology that generates multidimensional sound.
- Inside Amazon models, the Echo Plus and the Show sound the best of all. But the Echo Studio takes the cake for sound quality.
- The Google Home Max it is the one with the most powerful volume.
Apple HomePod vs Amazon Echo vs Google Home: funcionalidades
Song
- Google has at its disposal Google Play Music and integration with Google Cast or Spotify. Also connects to Chromecast
- Amazon connects with Spotify and can be connected via 3.5mm or Bluetooth to another speaker.
- Apple works with Apple Music
Productivity
- Google Home integrates with other company services such as Google Maps, Tranlate, Calendar
- Amazon dispone de muchas apps com Uber, Just Eat etc…
- Apple has given app creators access to its new speaker, so it is expected that there will be many compatible apps
Smart Home
- Amazon is integrating with products like Samsung’s smartThings or Philips Hue bulbs.
- Google integrates with Nest devices
Users
Google and Amazon speakers support multiple users.
- Amazon Echo: you have to change user using a voice command
- Google Home: recognizes the voice of different users
- Apple HomePod: does not support multiple users
Intelligence
- Google Assistant: similar to Google Now, so it has a large amount of information available.
- Amazon’s Alexa: You can talk a little about everything: calendars, sports, understand simple phrases. Probably the smartest.
- Apple’s Siri: the iPhone assistant goes to the speaker. He has a little left to catch up with his opponents.
Privacy
Clearly the speaker that respects your privacy the most is the Apple model, which is why its smart features are more limited than in the other models. Apple uses artificial intelligence for its smart speaker, encrypts everything, and doesn’t link your data to your Apple account.
Google and Amazon use what you ask to learn from you, and send all of your data to their servers. This data can be used to show you advertising on other devices or to personalize your searches on Amazon or Google.
And many times they turn on accidentally and record certain conversations. You have to be very careful.
If you want privacy, the Apple speaker is the way to go.
Apple HomePod vs Amazon Echo vs Google Home: precio
You should always check the prices on their web pages, since they are usually discounted and in many times there are important offers.
Google Home models cost (they are often discounted. Check their website):
What about the Apple model? It usually costs the same.
The Apple HomePod costs 329 euros.
Amazon models cost the following in Amazon Spain (some models may be discounted at certain times. Check the Amazon website for the final price:
- Amazon Echo Dot: 59,99 euros
- Amazon Echo: 99,99 euros
- Amazon Echo Plus: 149.99 euros
- Amazon Echo Spot:129,99 euros
- Amazon Echo Show 5: 79,99 euros
- Amazon Echo Show 8: 99,99 euros
- Amazon Echo Show: 229,99 euros
- Amazon Echo Studio: 199,99 euros
We especially recommend the models for quality price guide them:
Bottom Line: Which Smart Speakers Are Best For You?
The most developed system at the moment is the Amazon Echo (its assistant Alexa is the most evolved), but Google integrates a large number of services in its Google Home and it is expected that their integration will improve over time.
- The cheapest “Smart Speaker” models are the Amazon Echo Dot and the Google Home Mini.
- The ones with the best sound are the Apple HomePod, Amazon’s Echo Studio and the Google Home Max
- The model that respects your privacy the most is the Apple HomePod
- For quality and price, the best option is the Amazon Echo.
