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Amazon Echo vs. Google Home: 5 Important Distinctions
It’s official. We live in an era when we can speak commands to machines — without the push of a button — and, most of the time, they will acquiesce. On top of that, we have access to more than one type of such technology and our choice of devices. As my Dad might say, “What a time to be alive.”
But like anything else that’s in high demand, there’s competition in the realm of personal home assistants. Take Amazon Echo and Google Home, for example. What makes them different? And is one really “better” than the other? 
The answers to those questions depend largely on an individual’s lifestyle, and what’s most important to each user. We had a look at each device, and selected five key differentiators that can help you decide which one is best for you.
First, a Bit About Each Device
Amazon Echo
- Price: $179
- Requirements: Wi-Fi. Compatible with Fire OS, Android, and iOS devices and accessible via web browser.
Amazon describes Echo as a device that provides “hands-free convenience with voice-control”. It’s designed to play music from any number of streaming apps, like Spotify, Pandora, or iHeartRadio, among others. But its capabilities go beyond music — while your tunes (or audiobooks, which it can also read aloud for you) are playing, you can interrupt it to ask a question, and should promptly receive an answer.
Amazon Echo can be used the same way you might use any other type of voice search, and ask for things like news, weather, and information about what’s nearby. It’s powered by Alexa, Amazon’s voice recognition technology, and it’s built for the Internet of Things — or smart home — making it able to control things like room lighting.
Google Home
- Price: $129
- Requirements: Android 4.1 and higher, iOS 8 and higher (only available in English and for purchase in the U.S.)
Google Home is described as “a voice-activated speaker powered by the Google Assistant.” That’s the same technology used to answer questions in the search engine’s Allo app, which is configured to respond to search queries, set reminders, and engage in everyday chit chat. Here’s a look at how the app functions:
But the Google Home device has far more capabilities than Allo. First, you can ask the same questions that you might ask of the app, but in a hands-free, voice-activated manner. Like Alexa, it’s also built for smart home technology, and can control things like lighting or temperature.
What really seems to differentiate Google Home, however, is the fact that it’s built by Google. That changes the way it execute searches — after all, it was created by a company known best for its search engine — and can integrate with the technology you might already use for day-to-day management. …read more
Source:: HubSpot Blog
