Alexa vs. Google: what your house could look like

In the battle of the voice assistants, two strong contenders are emerging. But which is better? We decided to take a look at the Alexa vs. Google debate.

Alexa vs. Google: what your house could look like
  • How many skills does Amazon Alexa know? Amazon’s super smart assistant actually knows about 25,000 commands (and counting).
  • What are some recent advances for Google Assistant? Despite being connected to the most popular online translator on the planet, Google Assistant only became bilingual very recently. Amazingly, you can switch between any two of these languages for a seamless Google Assistant experience: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, or Japanese (with more on the way).
  • Is Alexa or Google better? That’s up for debate. But, Alexa has plenty to bring to the table.

In the next five years, we are likely to see an explosion of smart home devices. These automated appliances can respond to vocal commands, react to their environment, and generally make life easier.

However, there isn’t yet one standard system for controlling such devices. As we speak, two tech goliaths are battling it out for supremacy. Alexa vs. Google is the new VHS vs. Betamax.

So, which is better? We decided to imagine what your home could look like with each system.

Amazon Alexa

Whereas Apple and Google developed their smart assistants for smartphone use, Amazon has gone straight to smart devices. Here’s a sample of the Alexa lifestyle.

Sonos One Amazon Alexa Smart Speaker

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Sonos One smart speaker

While Amazon’s own speakers are good, the Sonos One is better. This audio beast lets you enjoy high-fidelity sound, with full support for Alexa voice commands.

Price: $199 USD

Amazon Echo Show Smart Display

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Amazon Echo Show display

This seven-inch touchscreen display lets you control every smart device in your home. It’s also great for streaming music and videos.

Price: $129.99 USD

ecobee4 Amazon Alexa Smart Thermostat

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ecobee4 thermostat

With Alexa baked in, this thermostat lets you adjust the temperature with voice commands. You can even order groceries while you’re at it.

Price: $249 USD

Amazon Echo Spot Alexa Alarm Clock

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Amazon Echo alarm clock

The Echo Spot alarm clock lets you check the weather and traffic in bed. It can also play your bedtime audiobooks or your morning playlist.

Price: $129.99 USD

Echo Look Amazon Alexa Camera

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Amazon Look smart camera

When you finally get up, this smart camera will help you choose the perfect outfit. You can even see a 360-degree view on your phone.

Price: $119.99 USD

[tweet_box]In the battle of the voice assistants, two strong contenders are emerging. But which is better?[/tweet_box]

Google Assistant

With tight Android integration and excellent voice recognition, Google Assistant has a lot going for it. Here’s a look at how it might work in your home.

Google Home Max Smart Sound Speaker

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Google Home Max speaker

There are cheaper ways to access Google Assistant, but this speaker offers incredible audio performance, thanks to 4.5-inch woofers and 0.7-inch custom tweeters.

Price: $399 USD

Lenovo Google Assistant Smart Display

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Lenovo smart display

This tablet lets you control other smart home devices via Google Assistant. It can also provide weather updates and display your Google Photos albums.

Price: $199.99 USD

Canvia Smart Art Display

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Canvia art display

With the Canvia display on your wall, you can enjoy a different artwork every day. Thanks to Google Assistant, you simply ask for the piece you want.

Price: $275 USD, pre-order

Chromecast Ultra by Google

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Chromecast Ultra

If movies and TV shows are more your thing, the Chromecast Ultra lets you search Netflix, YouTube, and Vudu for 4K content.

Price: $69 USD

Aura Home Motion Detection Device

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Aura home monitoring system

The Aura Home Monitoring kit offers a great smart home security. You can control the system with Google Assistant and cover 700 square feet without cameras.

Price: $188.99 USD

Philips Hue Calla Smart Outdoor Pathway Light

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Philips Hue Calla light

Google Assistant can help you start the party outside with the Hue Calla light. You get 16 million colors to choose from.

Price: $129.99 USD

Alexa vs. Google

As you can see, both Alexa and Google Assistant have plenty of devices. Amazon has its ever-growing Echo range while Google Assistant has a bit of a slower start out of the gate. But, Google Assistant is now bilingual, making it the superior option for multi-lingual families or even roommates. However, overall, it seems that Amazon is taking the smart world by storm. Even 3rd party products are putting Alexa at the top of their integration to-do list, expediting the smart home experience for consumers everywhere.

For that reason, we believe that Alexa is currently the more powerful and versatile system. That said, we’re very open to an Alexa vs. Google Assistant arms race and all the innovation that will come with it.

Do you have a different take? We’d love to hear your comments!

Mark is best known for writing about apps, but he also loves the tactile, hardware side of technology. Being a professional photographer, he's pretty handy with a camera, and he's a self-confessed tweetaholic.
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