Holiday Gift Idea: Top Smart Speakers

First, tech companies put digital assistants like Siri and Google Assistant in phones. Now, companies are putting digital assistants into speakers, making them smart and capable of doing so much more than simply playing music. Now, smart speakers are able to tell you the weather, call you an Uber, order pizza, read you the current news, and many more amazing features, all on top of providing top-notch sound quality for your music. There are several leading companies who sell smart speakers, so let’s go through each, and find the one that’s best for you.

Amazon Echo

The most well known producer of smart speakers is Amazon, with their Echo line. Amazon’s smart speakers utilize their version of a digital assistant called “Alexa”. Users simply have to say, “Hey Alexa”, and then follow it with a command of what they want her to do. What sets the echo apart from the competitors is it is compatible with a wide range of smart home devices. This includes Smart Thermostats, Philips light bulbs, Belkin outlets, and many more. With a simple command, you can have your lights turned off and the thermostat set to a cool 70 degrees before heading to bed. The sound quality of the Echo is incredible considering the small form factor of the speaker. Some downsides to the Echo include no support for Apple Music subscribers, requiring you to have a Spotify or Amazon Music account. So if you’re an iPhone user, this may not be the best choice.

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Google Home

Another great choice is the Google Home. Known to have slightly better sound quality than the Echo, Google Home is heavily integrated with Google’s widely used search engine. This makes the Google Home slightly more useful when asking inquisitive questions like, “What was the score of the Super bowl in 2002?”, or, “How many eggs should you use for a chocolate cake?”. However, uses have reported that the Google Home is slightly less accurate than the Echo when determining your voice commands.

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Apple HomePod

Apple made its entrance into the smart speaker market with their HomePod, and while not holding up to Google and Amazon, the HomePod still holds its own as being a fantastic smart speaker. However, reviews of the device have shown that the audio quality is top notch, with the HomePod delivering a full and powerful sound from its four-inch woofer. The HomePod is complemented by Apple’s digital assistant, Siri. For those who are Apple loyalists, this might be the way to go. With support for iOS devices, as well as Apple’s smart home software, HomeKit, the HomePod has all of the neat features you look for in a smart speaker.

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All of these options have their pros and cons, but in the end, if you are in the marker for the best smart speaker, I would recommend the Amazon Echo. The Echo is a tried and true product, and Alexa is a top-notch digital assistant with a wide range of capabilities. Along with the affordable price, The Echo is the way to go.