As IoT continues to evolve, we constantly examine the latest gear and trends to understand the impact and possibilities. This understanding helps us guide our clients and explore new solutions.
Check out our evaluation of Google Home and Amazon Echo both in office and at home to compare their capabilities.
3. 3
MEET AMAZON ECHO
Echo is a smart speaker
developed by Amazon.com
Released June 23rd, 2015, Echo responds to the
name "Alexa". It’s capable of voice interaction,
music playback, making to-do lists, setting alarms,
streaming podcasts, playing audiobooks, and
providing weather, traffic and other real-time
information. It can also control several smart
devices using itself as a home automation hub.
5. 5
MEET GOOGLE HOME
Google Home is a smart
speaker developed by Google.
Released November 4th, 2016, as part of its
"Made by Google" product line, the product stands
as a rival to Amazon Echo in the smart speaker
industry.
Google has its services integrated into the
operating system, and supports features such as
streaming through Google Play
Music, YouTube Music, Spotify, TuneIn, Pandora,
and iHeartRadio by simply saying ‘Hey Google’ or
‘Ok Google’.
7. 7
THE EVALUATION
Criteria
• As IoT continues to evolve, we constantly
examine the latest gear and trends to
understand IoT’s impact and possibilities.
This understanding helps us guide our
clients and explore new solutions.
• Over the course of three weeks, several
comrades evaluated Google Home and
Amazon Echo—both in the office and at
home— to compare their capabilities
8. 8
WHAT WE EVALUATED
Criteria
• Design
• Setup and ease of use
• Responsiveness
• Integrations
• Music integration
• Speaker quality
• General tasks
• Surprise/Delight
• Value
9. 9
• Packaging is slightly garish
• Comes in two colors, plus a
baby DOT smaller format
• Sleek design, but a bit too
large
• Activity ring is easily visible and
clear
Echo Google Home
Who’s got the look?
Overall product and packaging design
• Packaging design is well
executed
• Changeable base creates a
versatile look for different
settings
• Smaller and less obtrusive
• Hidden LEDs are playful and
on brand
Score:
7
Score:
8
10. 10
• Requires app to set up and
wireless direct connect to
work
• Amazon Echo app is
singularly focused
• Took a few minutes to set
up and seemed a little
laggy. Wi-Fi connection
seemed tenuous at times.
Echo Google Home
Easy, peasy, fresh and breezy.
Setup and ease of use
Score:
7
Score:
9
• Requires app but uses
bluetooth to establish
connection and setup
• Benefits from having all
devices (Chromecast,
connected TVs) under the
same app for easy
crossover
• Setup process was quick
and responsive
11. 11
• Very adept at picking up voice
commands up to 5 feet away
• Understood a wide range of
voices
• Can change name to “Echo,”
“Computer” or “Amazon”
Echo Google Home
Can you hear me now?
Responsiveness
Score:
7
Score:
8
• Very adept at picking up voice
up to 5 feet away
• Slightly better at
understanding voices with
accents
• Cannot change wake word
without a rootkit
12. 12
• Able to do a number of home
automation tasks (Hue,
WeMo, Insteon, Smart Things)
• Integrates well with the major
music services
(iHeartRadio/Spotify/
Pandora)
• Hue integration recently
updated for more control
• Benefits from Yelp for nearby
restaurants
Echo Google Home
Who’s got mad skillz?
Integrations
Score:
8
Score:
8
• Able to do a number of
home automation tasks
(WeMo, Hue, Nest,
Honeywell, LIFX, Smart
Things, Android OS)
• Integrates well with the
major music services
(Spotify/Pandora/YouTube)
• Hue integration was more
advanced
• Uses power of Google to find
relevant answers
13. 13
• Good integration with
Pandora and Spotify
• Plays personal music
libraries through Prime –
250 free songs :|
• Use of “Skills” allows a wide
range of more specific
controls and integrations
Echo Google Home
Can you dance to it?
Music integration
Score:
7
Score:
8
• Good integration with
Pandora and Spotify
• Plays personal music
libraries through Google
Play – 50,000 free songs
:D
• Can also pull from Youtube
creating a much wider
reach, especially
internationally
14. 14
• Good clarity and fills the room
with sound
• Easy control through top ring
Echo Google Home
Boom.
Speaker quality
• Great clarity and more bass,
despite smaller size
• Controlled through touch on
flat surface
Score:
7
Score:
8
15. 15
• Alexa performed slightly better
for movies, TV or music
questions
• Uses Yelp for nearby food
recommendations
• Easily finds nearby business
hours, weather
Echo Google Home
Do it.
General tasks
• Better at general knowledge
questions
• Better at traffic queries
• Weather inquiries more
thorough
Score:
8
Score:
8
16. 16
• With over 10K different skills
and open architecture, Amazon
has some great add-ons
• Shopping is easy and tied in
well with Prime
Echo Google Home
Wait, what?
Surprises and delights
• Clever writing by Onion and
Pixar writers gives extra
firepower
• Integrations are being added
continually with great
partnerships
• When asked to sing, Home
currently has a funnier song
Score:
7
Score:
8
17. 17
• Choice advantage with more
variations, including a smaller
profile DOT unit at $49 dollars,
and a bluetooth-only version
• Main unit comes in white and
black
Echo Google Home
Bang for the buck
Value
• Only one unit, but better priced
at $129 (vs Echo’s main unit
at $179)
• Swappable bases to add more
color and to fit in with more
decor
Score:
8
Score:
7
19. 19
FINAL THOUGHTS
Conclusion
• With many partnerships, actions and an
aggressive product evolution plan,
Google Home has great potential to lead
in this field, with a slightly better product
overall.
• Amazon has a two-year head start and
open skills integration, giving it an
integration and rapid development
advantage, though it suffers from a
potential governance and management
challenge.
