In 2014, the Amazon Echo was released to incredibly positive reviews. The pint sized smart speaker is constantly sold out at the online store and there is plenty of good reason for this. But then October 4 happened and Google unveiled Google Home, which could be the closest thing that Amazon's speaker has to competition, at a much cheaper price.
Google Home: The Eager Newcomer
As reported by Forbes, Google Home was first announced in May and was only revealed earlier this year. The device, however, will not start shipping out until November 4. Nevertheless, it has already gained some popularity.
Priced at US$129, Google Home comes with two microphones and incorporated speakers that boast clear highs and a rich bass. The unit also sports four LED lights, which notifies the user that it is listening. For those that sometimes prefer physical commands, it also comes with buttons for playing, pausing or muting the audio, lowering or increasing volume and starting requests.
The smart speaker runs on Assistant, which is Google's latest virtual assistant. Reportedly, it is capable of conversation that begin with "Okay, Google" or "Hey, Google" voice prompts. And while Assistant will do the basics - such as play a song and report the weather - it is also capable of learning more about the user.
During the demo, the device was able to provide the time, date, weather, travel time to work and the user's schedule. This is because Assistant, when synced with various other Google devices, has a relatively intimate relationship with its user. Google Home comes in six base color options: mango, marine, violet, carbon, snow and copper.
Amazon Echo: The Veteran Player
The Amazon Echo costs about US$180 and has as many as seven microphones, as well as a 2-inch tweeter and 2.5-inch woofer. It has its own LED lights which also indicate when the device is listening. Furthermore, users can rotate the top portion of the unit in order to control volume. Its first button is for turning off an alarm and waking up the device, while another mutes the device.
As Tech Times adds, the Amazon Echo runs on Alexa, the company's own virtual assistant. In order to activate the virtual assistant, users simply need to say "Alexa." After which, it can be commanded to adjust the speaker settings, play music as well as initiate a number of "skills" - which are Amazon's version of apps. These skills allow users to order pizza, book and Uber and so much more.
The Amazon Echo comes in two options: black or white.
