The voice assistant technology enables us to operate the various appliances connected to the home automation network using our voice. In fact, this technology can be made use of to open the door of your house that is fitted with a digital lock, switch on/off the lights, or operate all appliances including the air conditioner from anywhere in the world. If you have installed a home automation system in your house, you can say “Alexa Open my gate” to open the automatic gate as you reach your house in your car. The gate closes automatically as the pre-set time expires. The popularity of voice assistant technology is growing even among common people because of its ability to operate appliances using their voice. These voice assistants work not only as smartphone speakers but also as our phones and tablets. The voice assistants can even serve as our personal assistants. The leading voice assistants available in the market are:
· Alexa from Amazon
· Google Assistant from Google
· Siri from Apple
Learning about these three brands of voice assistants will be helpful to those who have a genuine interest in new technologies and those that want to understand what home automation is.
What is Alexa?
Alexa is a voice assistant developed by Amazon, one of the leading technology companies in the world. It is the top voice assistant brand in the market today. In 2014, Amazon launched Alexa as the echo speaker. By 2021, Alexa has converted lakhs of homes into smart homes. Just like all other leading voice assistants Alexa also can be used for doing a variety of tasks. In addition, Alexa operates a wide variety of appliances connected to the home automation systems through our voice. You can use the voice assistant to control the volume of the music player in your house, tell you the time, set an alarm, send and receive messages, listen to the news, switch on lights, operate the air conditioner, and change TV channels. This means Alexa can control anything in a house through our voice and the home automation system. Alexa can also be controlled using different mobile applications.
Alexa voice assistant is available in two models – Echo Show and Echo Dot. The attractively designed Amazon Echo recognizes voice commands correctly. While Google’s voice assistant speaker Google Nest recognizes voice only when you are right in front of it, Amazon Echo has 360 degrees voice recognition accuracy. That is why Echo is best suited for large rooms. Alexa voice assistant is available in the price range of Rs. 6,000/- to Rs. 10,000/-. Further, there are other smart speakers that enhance the performance of Amazon Alexa. Some of them are:
What is Sonos One?
The introduction of Sonos One smart speaker which can be used along with voice assistants led to the increased sales of Alexa. In addition, there are other models such as the Sonos One SL. Another important aspect about Sonos One is that it can be used along with Google Assistant as well.
What is Kit Sound Voice One?
The smart speaker Kit Sound Voice One enables us to have a better experience with Amazon’s Alexa. Amazon Alexa succeeds in completing the concept of Smart Home Automation because Kit Sound Voice One enhances the clarity of our voice commands. This, in turn, enables you to get clear answers and execute other smart activities accurately.
What is Google Assistant?
As the name implies, Google Assistant is the voice assistant introduced by the search engine giant for BIM. The Google Assistant which was launched in 2016 has become one of the leading voice assistants in a short period of time. This can be attributed to Google Assistant’s accuracy. This voice assistant is fast becoming an integral part of our daily life because of its ability to connect with the Home Automation System technology and control all devices and appliances connected to it; retrieve information from the calendar through voice command; provide news; act as an accurate translator who is always there with you; make a video call from a mobile or tablet; make online payments, and connect with any other device.
It is the Google Assistant’s capability that has made it immensely popular. This voice assistant is available in a price range of Rs. 3,000/= to Rs. 9,000/= and will suit anybody’s budget. This is one of the best speakers because it enables you to easily control the Smart Home Automation System through your voice. Google Assistant is converting ordinary spaces into smart spaces in different industries. Google Assistant is being widely employed in all areas of our daily life through Nest Speaker, Google Home Speaker, Smart Display, Third-party Speaker, Google Pixel Phone, Android Phone, headphone, earbuds, Android TV, and vehicle automation. Google Nest is a great voice assistant as it accurately executes all voice commands given to it.
What is Google Nest Audio?
Google Nest audio is a voice assistant speaker that competes with Amazon Echo in the market. Google Nest is designed in such a way that it looks like a beautiful pillow. Google Nest Mini, a budget voice assistant, is available at Rs. 4,000/=. This voice assistant is best suited for small rooms. Moreover, we can connect Google Nest with our phones through the Google app.
What is Siri?
Siri is Apple’s voice assistant system. The Apple product iPhone’s voice assistant Siri is already well-recognized. Owning an iPhone is a matter of pride and, therefore, the company’s voice assistant system Siri is also widely accepted. Apple introduced Siri in 2010, even before Alexa and Google Assistant were launched. However, Siri’s capabilities were not really acknowledged in the initial stages. But, Siri now accurately performs all tasks that Google Assistant and Alexa are capable of executing, including the Smart Home Automation system. Further, Siri voice assistant’s global market share is 35 percent. This is much more compared to the market shares of Google Assistant and Alexa. Siri can also be linked to the home automation technology and used to control all kinds of devices; open mobile apps through voice command, make calls, and send messages; retrieve information the calendar; listen to the news; act as an accurate translator that is always available with you; make online payments, and connect with any other device. The starting price for a Siri Voice Assistant speaker is Rs. 20,000/=. Apple Home Pod Speaker is another great voice assistant that is available in the market.
What is Apple Home Pod?
Though Apple’s Home Pod Speaker provides a great experience, it is not popular because of its price. The greatest drawback of this voice assistant is that it costs more than Rs. 20,000/=. Another negative aspect is that the benefits of this speaker are available only to users of Apple products. Apple Home Pod Mini is a smaller version of the Apple Home Pod.
What is the Apple Home Pod Mini?
Apple Home Pod Mini has a very pleasing appearance and is a great voice assistant, but it has the same drawbacks as that of Apple Home Pod. Further, it costs as much as Rs. 10,000/=.
The Siri voice assistant can be generally used only with Smart Home Automation Systems, iPhones, iPads, Apple watches, Apple Air Pods, MacBooks, iMacs, and Home Pods, and cars that use Apple CarPlay vehicle automation systems. This is one reason why Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Google Assistant are used by common people as their voice assistant and smart home automation technologies.
It is really difficult to find out as to which is the best voice assistant as Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri are equally capable of performing all tasks. However, all technologies may not suit everyone. The preferences of each person are different. As such, each individual chooses a voice assistant according to his/her preferences.
If you have an Android phone with you, you can download the Google Assistant App or Alexa App from the Google Play Store. But, Siri is limited to the users of Apple devices. As such, Google Assistant has been developed for use by common people in developing countries like India. That is why Google Assistant is extremely popular. As the use of Siri is restricted to the users of Apple devices, it may not be popular among common people. However, it is simple and easy to activate Siri naturally through voice commands. Unfortunately, Google Assistant and Alexa are unable to maintain that kind of natural use.
Now, if you are looking for the smartest voice assistant, you can choose Google Assistant. If you want your voice assistant to have the ability to connect with a wide range of applications, then you must opt for Alexa. Finally, if your goal is to have a voice assistant that behaves in the most natural manner, then you must choose Apple’s Siri.
