Smart speakers are the hottest trend in the home automation industry right now. These small but powerful sound speakers offer you the ability to listen to music at its best and also a great way to get in touch with all the smart devices in your home.
On top of that, some smart speakers will provide a personal digital assistant which helps you stay in touch with the latest news, helps you keep track of your schedule while staying updated all the time.
Amazon has Alexa, Apple has Siri, Google offers Google now and Invoke has Microsoft’s Cortana. Now, let’s see which one is better suited for your home!
Amazon Tap
Amazon was the one who introduced this beautiful home assistant speaker in the form of Amazon Dot and Amazon Echo, at first. Now, Amazon Tap represents a much improved version of the two, a smart speaker which includes Alexa, the all in one AI which offers voice command recognition and 24/7 assistance for you.
We love Amazon’s Tap because it’s clean, simple and easy to use and small bringing huge features. Among the top features included in Tap we appreciate the:
- Voice commands for complete music control
- Calling and messaging feature
- Futuristic design and capabilities
- Astonishing sound for such a small speaker
Google Home
Next on our list comes Google’s smart speaker called Home. Home is a beautifully designed smart speaker which keeps you in touch with your daily schedule, it helps you solve any kind of issue by providing search information and can even play your Spotify playlist, all by voice command.
On top of that, Google Home can recognize who is talking and offers personalized information according to that certain profile.
You can even go a step further and connect Google Home with your smart hub and bring your home to live controlling the TV, smart thermostat, locking systems and pretty much every smart asset in your home environment.
Top Google Home Features
- Supports & recognizes multiple users
- Attractive minimalist design
Apple HomePod
The long awaited surprise coming from our favorite tech company. Apple just announced the launching of its smart speaker called HomePod at WWDC in a surprise ceremony.
Apple promises the greatest sound we experienced from a smart speaker ever, saying that HomePod contains the smartest chip ever included in a smart speaker, the A8 chipset.
On top of that, this small 6.8” by 5.6” speaker brings up a tremendous woofer which can rock the house with seamless sound and clarity.
- Can hear you even when loud music is playing
- Exceptional futuristic design
- Powerful loud and precision sound
LG Hub Robot
This year at CES LG came with a cutting edge robot solution for smart homes called LG Hub. The Hub comes in two sizes offering the same software available in the Amazon Echo, but with different, more interactive hardware.
LG Hub Robot will learn about your lifestyle and daily schedule in order to serve you better information.
LG’s Robot rotates and moves and also shows lights to make it more friendly and adorable. LG offered this robot motion, a ton of sensors and a pretty interactive interface, but no release date.
For now, we expect that LG Hub Robot will be available on the market in a year or two.
Why LG Hub Robot?
- Cute, circular display
- Interactive lights and motions
- Amazon Echo voice assistant included
Harman Kardon – Invoke
Microsoft’s reply to Apple, Google and Amazon comes from a great partnership with Harman Kardon in what they call a “Premium Audio Meets Personal Assistant”, Invoke!
Invoke is a smart digital personal assistant powered by Microsoft’s AI Cortana. The hardware available on this speaker is manufactured by the premium audio German manufacturer Harman Kardon and combined with the intelligent, cutting-edge AI designed by Microsoft.
It’s a smart, unparalleled partnership which promises to deliver a powerful rival to Apple and Amazon’s smart speakers.
Why Harman Kardon?
- Premium design and audio manufacturer
- Cortana personal AI
- Keeps track of scheduling and helps you set up new lists
Denon HEOS 1
Denon’s HEOS 1 speaker is a smart speaker which works wirelessly featuring Bluetooth connectivity, high resolution audio support and sealed enclosure for superior humidity protection.
The Denon HEOS 1 sound is optimized via precision acoustical processing algorithms making the sound seamless and more natural than the one coming from other speakers.
Top Denon HEOS 1 Features
- Two color variations – white and black
- Smart and small design
- Sounds bigger than it is
Lenovo Smart Assistant
This is the first smart home product that comes from Lenovo. Lenovo Smart Assistant is a smart speaker that was presented at this year’s CES in January.
It’s a small, good looking device which integrates the Amazon Echo software for Artificial Intelligence, but it comes in 4 color variations and a much louder sound system powered by Harman Kardon.
Overall we consider this a great looking speaker that can do everything Amazon’s Echo can + a great sound quality improvement.
Why Lenovo Smart Assistant?
- Includes premium speaker by Harman Kardon
- Comes in 4 color variations (Light Gray, Orange, Green, Matte Black)
- Very light (1.59 lb)
Sonos PLAY:1
Sonos is a World renowned brand when it comes to digital speakers and smart sound for your household. PLAY:1 is a mini speaker with Maximum Sound and a design that fits any room.
Even though the speaker doesn’t include a digital assistant, it is resistant to humidity making it perfect for the bathroom and the backyard.
PLAY:1 allows you stream sound through Wi-Fi making it a better solution over Bluetooth because the music never stops, not even when you receive a phone call.
Why Sonos PLAY:1
- Available in two color variations
- Better sound guarantee 100 days return policy
- Humidity resistant
- Sounds bigger than it’s size
Conclusion
The smart speaker industry is in high expansion and in the next few years we’ll see major improvements like better, more interactive A.I and processing power, movement and even better sound quality and more power.
