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If you can only afford the entry-level devices, and music remains a top priority for you, go for the Google Home Mini, which sounds a lot better than the Echo Dot. Unless you hook up a Dot to another speaker over Bluetooth or the 3.5mm jack, it's just too thin and harsh to fully enjoy. Recently Google launched a follow up to its smallest smart speaker; the Google Nest Mini comes with three speakers (that's one more than the original), and is made from recycled materials.
However, in our time with the device, we didn’t actually find much use for that feature. When it comes to answering life’s questions, big or small, Google’s main advantage over Alexa is, well, Google. In countless hours of testing, Google Assistant attempts to answer more questions, offers a bit more contextual information, and usually gives a longer answer than Alexa almost every time. However, Alexa can generally perform a wide range of tasks including ordering your Uber, shopping for or reading audiobooks and even receiving incoming calls. Both devices offer a relatively comparable variety of services, features and skills.
Amazon Echo vs. Google Nest: Which Smart Speaker Is Best?
Both smart speakers provide answers to questions, control certain home devices, set alarms and timers, and more. Each device is genuinely an assistant in digital form, waiting for you to give voice commands. If you have more than one user account, the Nest Mini can even differentiate who is talking by the sound of their voice . But the Google portion of the Nest Mini isn’t quite as capable as we’d like.
This post reminded me of the importance in recognizing the different types of developing hardware/software around us. Whether one product has more features or not it’s good to take into account the technology that will prioritize and benefit your life specifically. Cooks and frequent Google app users who want to access Google Assistant via a screen will love this display, which is well-integrated with Google Calendar and Photos.
The original budget smart speaker
Alexa's Drop In feature only works with other Alexa-enabled devices. The speaker comes with a gray base, but you can get it in a few different colors, including a nice coral or copper. It's only the base that you can change, however, so you'll be stuck with the white top no matter what.
Like the Echo Dot, the speaker is puck shaped, if a little more pebble-like with softer edges, and has a top side covered in a fabric speaker mesh. You can pick up the Google Home Mini in a range of colors, with four flashing LED lights illustrating when it's listening to your commands and showing the volume level. However, lots of users who have put the two devices head-to-head believe Google Assistant could be the smarter of the two. Learning experience, and wider variety of voices than Alexa, it has the biggest potential for the future. Ultimately, the better smart assistant really just depends on the rest of your digital life. If you own an Android phone, then it's probably better to stick with Google Assistant.
Amazon Echo vs Google Home: audio
And while it has some smart-home integrations and third-party Actions comparable to Alexa’s Skills, it has fewer of either than Alexa does, though it continues to improve. We recommend a few other Google Assistant devices below and have a guide to the best smart displays and the best Google Assistant devices. The speakers themselves don't make that choice any easier, because both are quite good; the Echo has been our Editors' Choice winner for a long time, but the Nest Audio is a close runner-up. The Echo's bass is a bit better and Alexa can use multiple wake words, but the Nest Audio sounds quite clear and Google Assistant is easier to talk to thanks to more flexible natural language recognition. In the sub-$50 price range, the Echo Dot has a clear edge over the Nest Mini in audio quality, but even those two smaller speakers work well for what they are and offer the same choice between voice assistants.
Handled and activated through the Alexa app on smartphones, these can range from getting information on local transport times, or to activating voice-controlled games. It costs $229 (£219, $349), similar to the original price of the 10-inchLenovo Smart Display. These smart displays are ideal for making Google Duo video calls to friends and family members. A first generation Echo Dot still responds to all of the same voice commands as the latest model. Yes, the latest Echo Dot looks better, but when you're talking about a small black hockey puck on the corner of your shelf, that matters less compared to a screen taking up prominent space on your kitchen counter.
Apple HomePod Vs. Amazon Echo Vs. Google Home: Which Smart Speaker Is Right For You?
However, having to use your phone to control the music defeats the purpose of owning a voice-controlled speaker in the first place. Besides, you can get a much better-sounding Bluetooth speaker for that price. Signe Brewster has spent the past seven years writing about emerging technology, including the evolution and long-term implications of robotics, AI, and automation. She wrote Wirecutter’s guide to smart displays and secretly wishes someone would bring back Jibo.
If you don't, then Alexa will do the job perfectly well for your needs. Google is also slightly better with accents and languages, so if you live in a multi-lingual household, Google might be your winner. If you're using the Google Home, you'll plug the speaker in, download the Google Home app, and the device should automatically pop up in the app.
So, while both devices offer relatively similar services, it is important to decide what is most important to you and what smart devices you already have. However, the Google smart speaker line includes other devices including the Google Home Mini, Google Home Max and Google Home Hub - which will set you back around $49, $399 and $149 respectively. Having said that, Alexa tends to be better when it comes to support for a wider range of devices, as well as better smart home integration. So if you have a lot of smart home devices already, Alexa might be your best bet.
The Google Home -- Google's $130 original smart speaker also strikes a solid balance of size and sound quality. You can swap out different bases for an extra splash of color. Brooke is a tech and consumer products writer covering the latest in digital trends, product reviews, security and privacy, and other news and features for RD.com.
After Christian received his Bachelor's Degree of Science in Music Technology, he moved to California, winding up in the San Francisco Bay Area — right next door to the Silicon Valley. Since then, his writing has appeared in Digital Trends, TechRadar, Reviewed, and more. You can read our full guide to the best smart speakers here to learn more about how they work and the privacy concerns many people have with them. The Google Home Mini is compatible with Google Chromecast for hands-free video streaming and Android for hands-free calendar event creation, making lists with Google Keep, setting reminders and more. In fact, if you already have these devices, the Google hub will automatically seek them out as soon as you sync it to your home’s WiFi network.
You’ll need an Android or iOS smartphone and a strong WiFi network with an internet speed between at least 30 to 50 Mbps . If you’re not sure how strong your WiFi network is, you can use a bandwidth calculator or a WiFi speed test to find out. He's reviewed everything from vacuum cleaners to beer brewing robots in pursuit of the perfect smart home. He wants the smart home to make him feel powerful, and it's getting there. Alina Bradford is a technology and internet safety and security expert for SafeWise.com and has contributed her insights to dozens of national publications, both in print and online. Her goal is to make safety and security gadgets less mystifying, one article at a time.
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