Team Amazon for all the reasons you listed Reed. I am adding some Google Nest Max screens as we are also using Home Assistant as our main solution and can cast instances of the control UI and output things like in the morning push traffic and summaries to the display. Great video and comparisons.
I started with Amazon and loved the idea behind smart products, but after 5 replacements on my Amazon show and every Amazon device constantly asking me try to new things or showing me useless info, I switched entirely to Google. It's been fantastic since the switch.
We should do a Smart Home Battle. Looks like I am the opposite, Google Assistant is everywhere with a few Amazon device. There are definitely benefits to having both. Great comparison!
I don't know what it is but I just can NOT bring myself to have Amazon in my home! Even before Google/Amazon started the home assistant battle, I just never trusted Amazon, would never buy anything from there ever let alone have an account with them. Many friends of mine have had echo dots, speakers etc but all of these have never been able to out do what my Google Home can do( imported from USA days after released, I live in UK). I am biased because I am and will always be Google
like the features, setup was difficult for some of my devices (August Door lock, ruclips.net/user/postUgkxhB5YOMNj04GuoAosExygP4cH-dKeb4aB Bose speaker)... but all switches and outlets (5), thermostat, tankless water heater. Unfortunately all I can do is turn on/off Bose. It doesn't support volume or changing channels, but I believe that is due to the particular speaker I have.... Worth getting if you already have other devices to use it with... I don't sit around and ask Alexa questions much so that doesn't really matter to me....
I have found Google to be more receptive to different accents. My parents have a thick accent and Google does a wonderful job understanding most of their commands, even when they are speaking broken English. I also have an Alexa dot and it typically struggles with accents. Something to consider when choosing an assistant. It. can get pretty frustrating when you have to repeat a command because the assistant is unable to understand your accent.
I'm portuguese and I have a Google Nest Hub 2Gen. Unfortunately it doesnt support portuguese, so I have to talk to it in English. And, although my English sucks, it always understands my commands. Now the funny part: I have a 3 years old son that only speaks portuguese. Lately he has started to try to imitate what I say when I speak in foreign languages. So, yesterday when we arrived home and before I had time to say anything, he says something like "Tei googue, tune on tha lites" 🤣🤣🤣 I just start laughing... But in 2 seconds, all the lights were on. 😯😄
@@msbree3813 In the 1993 movie "Demolition Man", Sylvester Stallone only had to say "Lights" after bumping into something in the dark in the year 2032.
Google knew Alexa had control over the smart outlet so Google just triggering Alexa to turn off the Smart outlet is basically the equivalent of Alexa unplugging herself
As the owner of both the Google Mini and the Echo Dot 3, the most exasperating aspect of the Dot 3 is Alexa's muffled & muted voice at lower volumes, whereas as the Google Assistant's voice is tack sharp & easily heard (by comparison) regardless of where the volume is set .. and not surprisingly, Google has the better track record at answering or addressing queries ☝🏽😑
i use google bc it's better for my integrations with my phone and watchm but i'm not team anything, i give them money, the're the ones who should be team me!
*I like the old style Echo Dot because it's small also **Newest.Technology**, gives out decent sound and doesn't take up a lot of shelf space if you want to put it on beam in the workshop or shed.*
which " it " are you talking about ? Amazon does have alarm clocks ... the most I have used was 4 .... you can set it up via voice or app. every day or just week days or just weekends . easy to do so .... Amazon has a timer also .... great to time a work out or something cooking . I do not use google to much but it does have similar settings ....
Well honestly I tried both and decided to run on Google. By playing around I added several routines to my house. For me, is more friendly to use and people with little knowledge can set up their house with no issues
We are Apple/Siri/HomeKit all the way, but if we weren’t so deep into Apple, I would choose team Google for sure. The nest thermostat was our first smart home device and it was just SOOOO good!
I went all Google some months back, for two main reasons not covered in this video: 1) Android Assistant in the car - I have an Android phone, and I find I can do more with it when driving. Amazon have a device for in the car but it looks terrible 2) RUclips support for the smart screens However, I missed the Amazon ecosystem, mainly because "Alexa" rolls off the tongue much easier that "OK Google". Now I've started replacing my Google speakers again, keeping the Smart screens (for now) and keeping Android Assistant in the car. For someone starting in home automation, I would recommend Amazon over Google.
My whole house has gone Amazon! Just ordered another Echo 5 to join my little army. Oh, and I do have one little Google sitting in the corner all by itself. 😉😂
I really enjoyed this comparison between both products and ecosystems. I purchased Echo Show 8 and have a few Alexa devices dotted around the house. The only issue I find is that setting up multiple users is so annoying. I thought that all the devices sharing the same wifi would make this so simple with different amazon accounts. Setting up 'Amazon Household' just to have two devices with two accounts communicate in the same house!! feels like a chore (despite the setup process being easy and straight forward) and even then you can only have TWO Adult accounts connected. One thing I like about the Google ecosystem from what I've read I don't own their smart speakers is you can have up to 6 users on any device in the house you just have to link the google accounts to the individual devices through the app and unlinking is as easy as linking. With Amazon devices sometimes there are issues just controlling say the lights in the house from both user accounts. Sometimes it's like you can only give one user account priority over a device. Unlinking users from an amazon household means they cant' be linked up again to any Amzaon household in 6 MONTHS!!! so imagine a new housemate, partner, family member etc wants to be connected and you can't even add them to the ecosystem. I know most people really probably don't care about this but I find this small thing annoying and I hope Amazon changes this going forward.
To me, the biggest advantage Google has is that it can really provide individual results with voice and face recognition. My wife needed to ask Alexa all the time to switch profiles so it would play her Spotify playlist (we use family plan so she has her own account). If Alexa was on her profile, she would recite this long message: It looks like you are trying to manage a device from another household... when just trying to turn on or off a light. Google’s household integration is the reason why I left Amazon.
That “Fight!” was probably the best outro yet! I’d subscribe again if I could! Thanx for the info on the chair, but that’s more than I can justify (to her) for an office chair.
I have Echo Dot in the bathrooms, Show 5 in master bedroom, Spot in guest bedroom and Show 8 in TV room. The motion sensor activates the foyer lights. Alexa controls the Kitchen, Dining room, TV room and bedroom lights, plus the Dyson fan and the iRoomba vacuum. Alexa keeps track of my appointments, medication times, shopping and To Do lists, as well as amusing me with jokes, word of the day, and keeping my playlists. I hope to buy the Show 10 as soon as it comes out.
Reed, you are awesome. I found your channel a while back (2018) and I subscribed just for the dad jokes and little Easter eggs in your videos. Anyone can see you put your heart into every video and it shows. I appreciate the effort and will continue liking and (if I can) sending your stuff to my friends. Keep doing what you do! I'll keep watching.
One thing that may be good to mention, is that Amazon Alexa (as of 26-3-2022) only supports 7 languages, whereas google assistant is offered in 22 different languages. To international viewers who don't speak any of Alexa's 7 languages this might just be the deciding factor. I personally use google smart home devices. This is mainly because I got a Nest Mini for free (Due to the youtube premium giveaway). But since this video has come out, a couple of the missing features have been added to google's services.
You can use Google Assistant on iOS, along with being integrated with the Google Home App and casting to Google Devices from apps in iOS, so I don't understand your statements about "...only if you have Android."
I don't mean that you should get Google *only* if you have an Android phone. I mean that if you happen to have an Android, it adds another layer of convenience. You can access devices from the home screen and trigger the assistant way easier. Google Assistant works great on iOS too, I use it on an iPad and iPhone myself. I'm just saying if you have an Android you should consider getting Google for how seamlessly the assistant is built in.
I've been all Amazon since the Echo first came out. I have an Echo in the main area of the house and Dots and Flexes everywhere else. But I will say that I do have all my smart home devices connected to the Google Home app on my Android phone too because I find it quicker to do certain things with it when I don't want to speak to an assistant.
One thing to know, around 50% of the Alexa features you mentioned are US only. I don’t have any Google displays but I guess there aren’t as much geographical favourism.
I used to be all Amazon but I found out that Google Assistant devices can recognize each person's voice in your family and play from everyone's own music services. It's so much better for family, Alexa is just behind
What a great video, seriously. Thanks for putting out such high quality content. I am set on using Alexa as my main starting smart-home "Hub" for basic routines automations.
We went from mostly Alexa to mostly Google. The primary reason was Google answers questions about 150% better and the shopping list is easier to use, but we all use Android phones. We did get a show for easy video calls with relatives and mostly use fire sticks and fire tablets for the kids.
Not sure when the feature was added, but you can call specific Google Nests with any other connected device that has Google Duo. i.e. Tell your kitchen nest to call the bedroom nest or tell your phone to call the living room. imo this is better than the drop in feature of Alexa as the person needs to acknowledge the call with a tap to the device or a "answer" command and it acts as an actual Duo call.
I thought about including a section on privacy but I don’t think I could have done it justice in a short amount of time. I am planning on doing a dedicated video on it because there is a lot to go over.
@@sartikahasibuan9190 don't worry your privacy was violated when you got a smart phone since your mic and camera can be connected anytime anywhere with little knowledge and software. As for data, that's worth a fortune to companies. So I wouldn't worry about Google and alexa at home.
I’m already invested in the Google environment, so I’m hesitant to switch. Both brands are still missing important features. I was extremely disappointed in Google’s decision to drop the security system. It blows my mind that they still haven’t switched to a more user friendly or customizable command word.
Google partnered with ADT and are very likely going to buy them out. When that happens, expect ADT to release a new panel (which is really a google panel)
I use Amazon. I like that there are so many inexpensive devices/gadgets that work in this Echo System. I worry about any change of direction by the manufactures that obsoletes any of my devices. Google makes me think they are copying and/or doing a shotgun approach in their goals. Google has had the advantage of learning from Amazon's mistakes, but have they?
Really, for me it seems the opposite. Google may have been second in coming out with the device, but being the much larger company in the space, Google has catched up and at this point essentially surpassed Amazon. It seems like Amazon is the one copying to catch up now. Fire TV is copying Google TV, Luna is copying Stadia, etc etc.
Android user, loving the Amazon line for everything except the display - definitely considering the Nest Hub Max. How well would an Alexa driven ecosystem pair with a Nest Hub? I didn't fully understand that.
Dude, amazing videos. I just subscribed. I loved the camera work, the lighting, the cool transitions. And definitely loved when you were discussing Google Ai keeping the google device on focus, then blurred to the Amazon device. On 4:36 That got you my like and sub
I have both Google and Amazon in my house. For my purposes, the functionality is a toss up. I think Googles voice responses always sound more natural, but Alexa gets the job done just fine. In my opinion, Amazon blows away Google in their respective apps. The Alexa app is way more detailed and useful than the Google Home app.
Thanks for this Reed! Always glad to see an up to date comparison of these. I'm with Google at the moment and still happy with my choice, but I do agree that the drop in feature of Alexa is one big thing missing. I don't like how secretive Google are about their updates either, but we'll see what the future brings
Google. I'm minimalist, so have a nest mini hidden in every room so I can search google by voice. A nest hub in the bedroom as a picture frame, alarm clock. A google floodlight guarding my car and lighting the back garden. And a google cam above the front door that works well with the house PIR porch light and regular door bell. Everything is low maintenance and non-invasive. I paid a £50 year subscription for 30 day video storage.
I went with google since Alexa could not adjust for time zone in Saskatchewan and even get the time right. I called support 2 years ago and they said they were working on it.
Google can establish a continuous voice conversation between two Google devices in the same home, similar to Drop-In. I'm not referring to broadcasting... It's actual continuous two-way. The only difference is, with Google the person in the other room has to accept the call before letting you just pop-in and start listening to them.
@@SpaceStrike , I'm a fan of facts, data, and truth... but yes, I do prefer Google :) FTR, I have both ecosystems in my home, and use both. They both have their strengths and weaknesses.
@@grayjohnr you must realize being a fan boy isn’t a bad thing. I am a fan boy of Marvel, Android and Thing’s likes that. Amazon lacks knowledge and hardly can answer questions, but a google is a little behind with smart home. I’m also mad google is taking away free google photos
@@SpaceStrike , I'm sorry about that... I'm used to people using that term as an insult. My apologies for misunderstanding. I agree with you completely; it's why I have both ecosystems in my home. Google is amazing at answering questions, but is lacking behind Amazon in the home automation arena.
@@grayjohnr ah, no problem. I always end up fighting with people I don’t mean to. Sometimes I get to defensive just because of something I have, without proper knowledge of “the other side”. I only have Alexa in my home and having 2 would be a little too complicated for me, but for me as a student, google would have been more helpful. I hope they can both end up being even. Do you use HomeKit? I think it has potential but I doubt it’s really ready yet because it seems like to get the HomeKit sticker the price is 1.7x more
Excellent review. I loved the DropIn Alexa feature before switching to Google/Nest Minis. IMHO, Google home has a few benefits not mentioned here. The first is device organization in the app. Alexa Groups appear to be equivalent to Google's Rooms, but they just didn't work the same for me,, though it's been too long for me to remember why. Also, when I used Alexa it had a nasty habit of duplicating some devices which I had to periodically cleanup. Second, I couldn't get Alexa to consistently let me control devices in a room without including the device name in my command. No matter what room you go into in my house, you can voice control "lights", "main lights", "lamps", temperature, "fans" etc without specifying the room or device name, and you can turn everything on/off by room name. E.g. "turn off the kitchen". Alexa might leap frog, but for the past year I've been able to say "turn the lights on[off] in the kitchen and living room". Also useful to me is using Google Assistant on my phone. E.g. in AZ I have fans on my patio and fountains in the front courtyard and back patio. I can turn these on and off by voice regardless of my location in the house and without unlocking my phone by simply saying "hey google, turn on the fountains" or "turn on the patio fans". A year ago, I don't think Alexa could match this simplicity. For my core use, I consider these features to outweigh some of the fringe benefits of Alexa, though I'd like Google to copy a few of them:-)
I can use the Google assistant on my iPhone or my iPad to run various routines, etc. So you do not need an android phone for that. I also use the Hubitat to control all my smart home devices. I also have the Google calendar and notes installed on my iPad and iPhone for a smooth integration with my Google mini home mini devices. I find it much easier to add an appointment or reminder by voice than two tap tap tap whoosh up, whoosh down on my phone.
I sold off my echo dot. I dunno why it respond slowly and never seems to get it right. The response is just not as smooth as my Google home mini. Google voice sounds more human and natural. It also works great with chromecast
I know right I use my Google nest mini with my Nest E thermostat and new Chromecast and it works pretty fast and sounds very natural one thing I did notice I have a c by ge smart blub for my room and compared to the google home mini when I ask the nest mini it just makes a chime and immediately turns it off compared to saying "turning off bedroom light" and there a couple of subtle difference's they're both great 👍😊
@@micahjohnson9184 even though I do like google assistant, I am afraid they will shelf it one day. Google is not a good hardware company. They never listen and never change much of their ugly interface. Even Chromecast they haven't fix the darker bar at the bottom when playing your photo albums. If I can afford a home pod mini I might try Siri
@@just4therecord If it's interface your worried about if enough people want it they should change it if it's software. For the new Chromecast with google tv I get full screen images but it could just be the aspect ratio they decided to place on it I'd let them know about it anyway in case they decide to change it in the future. I'm glad they took a step down in hardware from there phones I'm loving the pixel 4a. Anyways it's cool whatever your comfortable with go with that just know if you have a android google would integrate a lot better than siri if you have a iphone google assistant would be more difficult to use but you can try to use siri with android that might be really tough idk 🤔 apple really loves it's ecosystem to be tight 😅 but I'm here for you if you need anything!
I'm currently using Alexa, and for the most part, I'm pretty happy with it. What annoys me most is how much of the options you discuss are ONLY AVAILABLE TO American customers. Guard would be awesome, geofencing would be spectacular, but since I'm 7km (3.5 miles) north of the border I'm treated like I'm in the 3rd world. Customer service can't or won't say when or if those options will be available to people outside of the US. Yes, I know that I can set up an account that says I'm American, but then I loose delivery notifications for Amazon purchases. So much for having a smart home that has the intelligence of a 2 year s old
Have your Amazon purchases sent to an "Amazon Hub" or "Amazon Locker" 8k (4.97 miles) south of where you live. If there's not too much hassle at the border crossing, you might find that idea worth considering. That way, you won't have to worry about package thefts as well.
Team Amazon here. Actually got a great deal a month ago on 3 Echo dots with the clock to replace my older 2nd generation ones and they are finally coming today. I also preordered the new Echo Show 10 to replace my first-generation Show which still works well but felt it was time to upgrade. We use the routines a lot as well.
I had a ring video doorbell pro and I returned it to get the google nest doorbell. I love how much faster the google is to see who is at the door compared to the few seconds it took my ring device to do so
Here in Sweden we only have the Swedish language in Google, so the choice is really easy for us 👍. But i like it, works absolutely perfect. Thanks for the video. Edit: worth to mention, is that i use it togheter with a Raspberry pi 4 and home assistant.
Our home is google-samsung. Yes, the both are fighting all the time. But I love google and samsung products because of their looks. We use simplie safe because NEST is no longer. I don't care for ADT (dont care how number 1 they are). I find Ring products to be hideous but if I had to do it again, I might use Ring only because they are decently priced. We do have a few Echo around the house, since we are big Amazon shopping family which makes the notifications and shopping on them easy. I think though when creating a smart house the number one rule you should fallow is how crazy do you want to get. I think if you find products that are easily compatible is the way to go. Becuase trying to make one work with another is going to make you crazy. Great vid man
Team Amazon.. just so much more fun and customizable with everything and that’s personally what I love about her and all these cool weird added features like the whisper thing
The Google assistant is much better than Alexa from my experience. The 'smarter' features of Echo devices pale in comparison to a custom setup with Home Assistant (which can be controlled by both Alexa and Google). If you want simple and effective, go for Google. If you want custom and smart, go for Google with Home Assistant.
I have both but i want to point out my google routines are automated they go on and off on their own, timed just from the google home app. I wasn't sure if you meant they are automated only with a specific way or not. But if you have an android phone you can set routines to be automatic. technically if you use that app, you can do this with iPhone and iPad as well since the home app is in the apple store too. So there is an asterisk. Hopefully it becomes easier overtime, but some of those automation that Alexa has, google also has, just takes some searching and playing around, but if you are like me and have or is wanting to have a completely smart home, you are going to do all those long set ups anyway.
Team Google, because it's simple and has everything i want already. For the automation part, i usually do it with SmartThings or Smart Life for some of my Tuya devices
That ending was gold!!!! 😂😂😂 I have been team Google for years and have just about all of their smart products. I have been considering getting an Amazon device just to broaden my options. Oh and by the way, Google displays and speakers do in fact have the features of listening for glass breaking as well as smoke detectors. Great video!
Excellent review of the two major voice assistants. I agree Amazon is the much better of the two, but the competition btw companies keeps costs down & hopefully new features up!
Question from a beginner.. If all I care about are routines and automation, does it make any difference which one I pick (Google or Alexa..), if I have them connected to a "real" hub like smarttings of hubitat..? Wouldn't the role of the voice assistant just be, to start the hub's automations?
You can have both if you want. I'm invested more in the Google ecosystem as well but have both, and there's nothing wrong with Google Home ecosystem. Just plan on getting a hub and somethings to make the connections to a bit faster and take the strain off of wifi but when he said Google isn't invested in the Assistant or smart home the smart home part maybe true but the Assistant part is false compared to Alexa yes both companies put work into the assistant. For being able to understand two people at the same time is really cool from Alexa but Google takes that a step further then you look at the stuff they are doing at Google IO with LAMDA, and understanding context and searching and giving better answers most of the time than Alexa because they amount of data assistant has is huge. I would much rather have google help with school or business work. I ask it questions frequently I don't know the answer to so I find Google more useful. But if it's automations having a couple of Amazon devices is a go to!
I'm team Google. But I have Alexa devices around the home. I've heard that Google has some major news coming mid year re new devices and features (also a new security kit) But could be nothing. Keep up the awesome work, this is my favourite YT tech channel :)
I use echo at my home and when I'm living away from home for automated routines for my smart devices, while I use Google assistant for small active tasks because I own an Android.
First I bought an Echo, and the lack of some basic features, poorly coded skills and bad integration with other services drove me nuts, so I bought the Nest Audio. Some of the stuff I was missing on the Echo; I finally have them. But now, other features I had on the Echo are lacking on my Nest Audio and this drives me even more nuts. Especially when all my other devices respond to "OK, Google" because there's only 1 wake-up word to choose from, and that wake-up word allows way too much room for errors. I can wake up my Nest and other devices with Google Assistant with words like "Eggo", "Egg Roll", "Hey Boo Boo" and something even "Echo", and I end up talking to 2 different assistants
I use Google because every member of my family including myself has an Android phone, and I find the routines very convenient to use. Also Amazon does not ship to my country, Echo products are actually very hard to get
I've had google for about four years. Then I added amazon (on amazon prime day). There are features that I like on both of them. But if I had to choose, I would choose google.
While there are some nice features in the Amazon device, I can't imagine putting all of my eggs in one basket, as it were. I don't just a complete Google ecosphere either, but I tend to like Google as a company more than I like Amazon as a company, so I lean towards their stuff.
Still not so sure on which one to get... Want to start automating my office, mainly simple tasks like, "set a reminder" or "turn my pc on", maybe add a doorbell and connect it to a display. Set modes to like "night shift mode" (when I'm working at night) or stuff like that.
I'm just getting in to home automation after being out of it for many years. I got setup with SmartThings a few weeks before everything disappeared and I've decided on Google for a few reasons. The first is that I really want the hello doorbell. I like the familiar face recognition. My local utility gives a major discount for smart thermostats so I've got a Google thermostat on the way. I think the Google ecosystem will integrate well with my Galaxy phone which I enjoy. I do really want to get the Brilliant wall switches but I'm waiting on hello integration. It seems like Google is at least making an attempt to open up their integrations and I'm really hoping that will continue. I've been mostly happy with SmartThings so far but it's really disappointing that they're moving away from devices that I'd really like to purchase.
As a beginning user, I’m a little sad to see amazon come out on top. Such a big decision on which assistant to go all in on. I chose Google. Just picked up my Google nest hub to go along with my Google nest mini, govee lighting, and smart outlets. I’m happy so far, but not being able to hold conversations across devices has been something I wanted to see implemented on Google. I hope they can catch up!
Same I'm team google as well, google is a little behind in terms of task. There are things that google is slightly ahead of too like answering questions but I'm sure Google will catch up eventually like how they implemented home and away routines eliminates the use for smart tags/ nfc tags to start automations they have big plans for smart home innovation.
Researched a lot a year ago before I had anything. Went with Alexa and no hub of any kind. Now we have Echos, Dots, Flexes, motion sensor on Flexes, Firesticks, bulbs, sockets, light strips, light bars, security cameras.....all compatible with Alexa. The range for the Dots is excellent. My router (New Taotronics) handles all the devices easily. I do have one Chrome Cast which I started using again when we found one app we couldn’t get on Firestick. My husband is technologically challenged, but he loves Alexa and uses the voice commands easily, and loves the Amazon music. We have never experienced Alexa being unable to understand our questions. And love the whisper mode! The Drop In is a wonderful feature as my husband spends his days in his woodworking shop. I can drop in anytime and speak to him, or hear that he has a machine going and can’t hear me. So much better than trying to ring him up on a telecom system that we used to use. Love Alexa!
I started with Google, tried Amazon on whim they were giving the Echo shows and Dots about 8 months ago and I much prefer Amazon overall. I will say, their camera system integration, at least as it being a security system, is sub par. Decent for seeing who is at your door, but not a 24/7 recording solution, simply not reliable enough.
I try to build everything with having no internet connectivity in mind, but that's difficult, when it comes to voice control. And Alexa clearly wins on that part.
I had both assistants for about a year while I slowly made my house a smart home. Right off the bat I noticed how google home was difficult to navigate and slow to update routines. Something simple like when I say " I'm watering the yard," I wanted google to set a 15 minute timer. It took a few days before google did what I wanted, and a few days more to unlearn the routine once it was deleted. Alexa is simple to use, and navigate with similar terms for functions so it's easy to cross over. Routines were instantly available to use or unlearn. I have a Ring system with automations going all day all over the house. And that's not even going over the blueprints, which help a lot when my wife doesn't know what commands I put in. She can just ask, alexa "how do I...," And she can have all the answers. Google fell flat for me, and I ended up giving it away to a neighbor so they could get their feet wet on the smart assistant thing. But I still say, alexa is best. Sales are common enough for alexa to drop to the 20 dollar range, and with a free light bulb to go with it, it's a great deal. Go Team Alexa!
They can't lower the price of Alexa,, they are already on track to lose $10 Billion dollars because of Alexa In 2022 .. ( Simple google with show this).. It appears Amazon didn't accomplish what they wanted with the ALEXA home.. and that wasn't for it to be used as a home assistant originally .. they wanted it so people could easily ORDER stuff on AMAZON. and people aren't using for that. and it's NOT making them the $$$ they thought it would? it's costing a LOT to run it.. and other than just selling the devices.. folks aren't using it as intended to easily order things from Amazon.. here's a post to a few articles on it.. thus I'm holding off on Alexa to see what happens. I don't say this to DIS Alexa it's a great device on it's own.. I say all this cause it's important if your going to invest a LOT of money and time into setting up a Home assistant etc.. you should at least be aware that once your setup they can pull the plug!! .. question is how many billion does Amazon need to lose before it pulls the Alexa plug? MAYBE NONE.. maybe never... but I"ve never known companies to take Billion dollars losses on one device year after year (think 2018 or 2019 they lost 5 Billion on it ).... I'm going with google.. they are an information company.. Amazon is a distributor mainly who tried to dabble in something they thought would get people to buy more products, just sitting on the couch. it didn't work. and there losing Billions on it. appleinsider.com/articles/22/11/22/amazon-alexa-bled-10-billion-in-cash-in-2022 htxt.co.za/2022/11/amazon-alexa-is-a-massive-failure-despite-high-sales-new-report/
Dude 100% same reason for me. Just understanding the context of our questions that we need help with is great, and if it can be a part of the smart home that's a plus.
Hey, something that might interest you. A couple of days ago my Amazon account was closed with no warning for after hours of wasted time they're telling me it's for excessive returns which I think is an error but that's beside the point. When they closed my Amazon account all my Amazon devices that I own for years primarily all my Echo devices stopped working. I lost access to the Amazon Photos and Prime Video which I pay for. So apparently the devices you already own are subject to be disabled by Amazon on your perceived shopping habits! I assume the same applies to all other Amazon devices and services like fire OS tablets, Ring cameras, and probably AWS as well. Just wanted to make other people aware of this because they definitely don't tell you this when you buy your hardware and services.
Hey Reid. Love the videos but I've noticed a lot of your automations involve the use of smartthings sensors and devices which are seemingly discontinued. Any suggestions on budget friendly alternatives? I looked at aeotec but $60 for one sensor is a bit out of range
I’m wondering if you can help me. I need basically an AI assistant to help manage my kids (single mom) while i work. Basically a timer to yell at the kids, “it’s 5:30, start making dinner” or “7:00, start taking showers”. I don’t need it to power doors or lights or anything. What am I looking for at the best price point?
All right let’s hear it! Team Google, or Amazon? Or maybe Siri?! Let me know your pick👇👇
Google
Google does have the smoke detector and glass breaking detection, but it's only part of the Nest Aware subscription.
Google
Team Amazon for all the reasons you listed Reed. I am adding some Google Nest Max screens as we are also using Home Assistant as our main solution and can cast instances of the control UI and output things like in the morning push traffic and summaries to the display. Great video and comparisons.
Amazon definitely
I started with Amazon and loved the idea behind smart products, but after 5 replacements on my Amazon show and every Amazon device constantly asking me try to new things or showing me useless info, I switched entirely to Google. It's been fantastic since the switch.
Yeah, I absolutely can’t stand the ads and spammy suggestions on my echo show
Since I just moved into my new home I’m going to google it out with google smart products
We should do a Smart Home Battle. Looks like I am the opposite, Google Assistant is everywhere with a few Amazon device. There are definitely benefits to having both. Great comparison!
I don't know what it is but I just can NOT bring myself to have Amazon in my home! Even before Google/Amazon started the home assistant battle, I just never trusted Amazon, would never buy anything from there ever let alone have an account with them. Many friends of mine have had echo dots, speakers etc but all of these have never been able to out do what my Google Home can do( imported from USA days after released, I live in UK). I am biased because I am and will always be Google
Sorry Brett, love your channel too but till google can trigger off another device, I'll stick with echos.
Let see it🙏🙏
Smart home battle...yes!
ok, finally a live that I would sit and watch!
like the features, setup was difficult for some of my devices (August Door lock, ruclips.net/user/postUgkxhB5YOMNj04GuoAosExygP4cH-dKeb4aB Bose speaker)... but all switches and outlets (5), thermostat, tankless water heater. Unfortunately all I can do is turn on/off Bose. It doesn't support volume or changing channels, but I believe that is due to the particular speaker I have.... Worth getting if you already have other devices to use it with... I don't sit around and ask Alexa questions much so that doesn't really matter to me....
I have found Google to be more receptive to different accents. My parents have a thick accent and Google does a wonderful job understanding most of their commands, even when they are speaking broken English. I also have an Alexa dot and it typically struggles with accents. Something to consider when choosing an assistant. It. can get pretty frustrating when you have to repeat a command because the assistant is unable to understand your accent.
I'm portuguese and I have a Google Nest Hub 2Gen. Unfortunately it doesnt support portuguese, so I have to talk to it in English. And, although my English sucks, it always understands my commands.
Now the funny part: I have a 3 years old son that only speaks portuguese. Lately he has started to try to imitate what I say when I speak in foreign languages. So, yesterday when we arrived home and before I had time to say anything, he says something like "Tei googue, tune on tha lites" 🤣🤣🤣 I just start laughing... But in 2 seconds, all the lights were on. 😯😄
Agreed! I had the same problem with echo but Google always understand me
I "think" you work at Google ( ps: i follow u on insta) 😂
@@AbhishekSinghabyexes13 hi 👋🏽
@@msbree3813 In the 1993 movie "Demolition Man", Sylvester Stallone only had to say "Lights" after bumping into something in the dark in the year 2032.
Man your sense of humor is brilliant. The final clip and the whispering to alexsa were gold. Greetings from Chile
Thanks!
Wena compare!
Weena
How did he do that??
That Ending Is Just Amazing. 🤣
Correction: the ending is just Amazon device being killed 😆
Google knew Alexa had control over the smart outlet so Google just triggering Alexa to turn off the Smart outlet is basically the equivalent of Alexa unplugging herself
@@asrieldreemurr1647 cool
@@asrieldreemurr1647 umm duh?
I agree
As the owner of both the Google Mini and the Echo Dot 3, the most exasperating aspect of the Dot 3 is Alexa's muffled & muted voice at lower volumes, whereas as the Google Assistant's voice is tack sharp & easily heard (by comparison) regardless of where the volume is set .. and not surprisingly, Google has the better track record at answering or addressing queries ☝🏽😑
The final clips at the end of every video are always amazing 👏
Thanks Shane!
i use google bc it's better for my integrations with my phone and watchm but i'm not team anything, i give them money, the're the ones who should be team me!
I second this comment!
No alexa is far better for every language
They're or they are.
NOT the're.
Wow! I have an Alexa and you totally just reminded me/exposed me to just how many capabilities this thing has. Thanks!
*I like the old style Echo Dot because it's small also **Newest.Technology**, gives out decent sound and doesn't take up a lot of shelf space if you want to put it on beam in the workshop or shed.*
which " it " are you talking about ?
Amazon does have alarm clocks ... the most I have used was 4 .... you can set it up via voice or app. every day or just week days or just weekends . easy to do so .... Amazon has a timer also .... great to time a work out or something cooking .
I do not use google to much but it does have similar settings ....
Well honestly I tried both and decided to run on Google. By playing around I added several routines to my house. For me, is more friendly to use and people with little knowledge can set up their house with no issues
That ending skit was great! 🤣
I’m team Google mostly because of that old but haunting incident of Alexas laughing in the night 😅
Those weren’t Alexas, that was Jeff Bezos in his money vault.
@@matthew8153 what do you mean exactly?
@@sonicfanfirst Jeff Bezos is filthy rich so he’s just alluding to him in his vault full of money, snickering.
@@sonicfanfirst it was a joke.
We are Apple/Siri/HomeKit all the way, but if we weren’t so deep into Apple, I would choose team Google for sure. The nest thermostat was our first smart home device and it was just SOOOO good!
Nest thermostat was our first smart home device too.
Home kit life is right!
Agreed, I really loved the nest thermostat
@@pennyowens5605 no it’s trash xD
@@SpaceStrike Thats kinda mean
3:00 lol "hey google, Reed the lights aren't working"
Bro, the last 20 seconds had me in tears. 🤣🤣🤣
I went all Google some months back, for two main reasons not covered in this video:
1) Android Assistant in the car - I have an Android phone, and I find I can do more with it when driving. Amazon have a device for in the car but it looks terrible
2) RUclips support for the smart screens
However, I missed the Amazon ecosystem, mainly because "Alexa" rolls off the tongue much easier that "OK Google". Now I've started replacing my Google speakers again, keeping the Smart screens (for now) and keeping Android Assistant in the car. For someone starting in home automation, I would recommend Amazon over Google.
My whole house has gone Amazon! Just ordered another Echo 5 to join my little army. Oh, and I do have one little Google sitting in the corner all by itself. 😉😂
I really enjoyed this comparison between both products and ecosystems. I purchased Echo Show 8 and have a few Alexa devices dotted around the house. The only issue I find is that setting up multiple users is so annoying. I thought that all the devices sharing the same wifi would make this so simple with different amazon accounts. Setting up 'Amazon Household' just to have two devices with two accounts communicate in the same house!! feels like a chore (despite the setup process being easy and straight forward) and even then you can only have TWO Adult accounts connected. One thing I like about the Google ecosystem from what I've read I don't own their smart speakers is you can have up to 6 users on any device in the house you just have to link the google accounts to the individual devices through the app and unlinking is as easy as linking. With Amazon devices sometimes there are issues just controlling say the lights in the house from both user accounts. Sometimes it's like you can only give one user account priority over a device. Unlinking users from an amazon household means they cant' be linked up again to any Amzaon household in 6 MONTHS!!! so imagine a new housemate, partner, family member etc wants to be connected and you can't even add them to the ecosystem. I know most people really probably don't care about this but I find this small thing annoying and I hope Amazon changes this going forward.
To me, the biggest advantage Google has is that it can really provide individual results with voice and face recognition. My wife needed to ask Alexa all the time to switch profiles so it would play her Spotify playlist (we use family plan so she has her own account). If Alexa was on her profile, she would recite this long message: It looks like you are trying to manage a device from another household... when just trying to turn on or off a light. Google’s household integration is the reason why I left Amazon.
That “Fight!” was probably the best outro yet! I’d subscribe again if I could!
Thanx for the info on the chair, but that’s more than I can justify (to her) for an office chair.
😂 thanks! I'm glad you liked the outro!
I have Echo Dot in the bathrooms, Show 5 in master bedroom, Spot in guest bedroom and Show 8 in TV room. The motion sensor activates the foyer lights. Alexa controls the Kitchen, Dining room, TV room and bedroom lights, plus the Dyson fan and the iRoomba vacuum. Alexa keeps track of my appointments, medication times, shopping and To Do lists, as well as amusing me with jokes, word of the day, and keeping my playlists. I hope to buy the Show 10 as soon as it comes out.
Reed, you are awesome. I found your channel a while back (2018) and I subscribed just for the dad jokes and little Easter eggs in your videos. Anyone can see you put your heart into every video and it shows. I appreciate the effort and will continue liking and (if I can) sending your stuff to my friends. Keep doing what you do! I'll keep watching.
Thanks so much Kyle, it means a lot! I'm glad someone likes the dad jokes 😂
One thing that may be good to mention, is that Amazon Alexa (as of 26-3-2022) only supports 7 languages, whereas google assistant is offered in 22 different languages. To international viewers who don't speak any of Alexa's 7 languages this might just be the deciding factor.
I personally use google smart home devices. This is mainly because I got a Nest Mini for free (Due to the youtube premium giveaway). But since this video has come out, a couple of the missing features have been added to google's services.
Outstanding POV
I am all Google as I use RUclips Premium and RUclips Music a lot. If I wasn't, I'd go with amazon.
Same
Same
If Amazon still made phones I’d be using them, but I want a single ecosystem so Google it is.
I also have RUclips TV it's all right I might as well get everything.
You can use Google Assistant on iOS, along with being integrated with the Google Home App and casting to Google Devices from apps in iOS, so I don't understand your statements about "...only if you have Android."
Don't worry, you'll never understand.
I don't mean that you should get Google *only* if you have an Android phone. I mean that if you happen to have an Android, it adds another layer of convenience. You can access devices from the home screen and trigger the assistant way easier. Google Assistant works great on iOS too, I use it on an iPad and iPhone myself. I'm just saying if you have an Android you should consider getting Google for how seamlessly the assistant is built in.
@@SmartHomeSolver yes because it won't work with iOS devices as effectively as Android devices.
I've been all Amazon since the Echo first came out. I have an Echo in the main area of the house and Dots and Flexes everywhere else. But I will say that I do have all my smart home devices connected to the Google Home app on my Android phone too because I find it quicker to do certain things with it when I don't want to speak to an assistant.
One thing to know, around 50% of the Alexa features you mentioned are US only. I don’t have any Google displays but I guess there aren’t as much geographical favourism.
That was good to know.
And here I sat thinking I wanted an Alexa.
I used to be all Amazon but I found out that Google Assistant devices can recognize each person's voice in your family and play from everyone's own music services. It's so much better for family, Alexa is just behind
What a great video, seriously. Thanks for putting out such high quality content.
I am set on using Alexa as my main starting smart-home "Hub" for basic routines automations.
Love this mans attitude. Not afraid, gives respect, what a gentleman.
Google also has the equivalent of Brief Mode... When you control devices in the same room as your Google device, it only responds with a tone.
We went from mostly Alexa to mostly Google. The primary reason was Google answers questions about 150% better and the shopping list is easier to use, but we all use Android phones. We did get a show for easy video calls with relatives and mostly use fire sticks and fire tablets for the kids.
I bought a Google Chromecast in 2014. Since then I’ve built my smart home from that. I’m all Google.
Do you have an iphone because I dont know if I should do google smart home if I have an iphone?
@@Epic-cw3km bruv ios sucks
With Amazon you have a ton of compatibility with Apple products.
I’m cross platform. I have an android phone, galaxy watch, Mac book and iPad. All work with google.
@@TealtiePlayz no cap as an iOS user seeing my dad with android I’m losing faith in apple halp
Not sure when the feature was added, but you can call specific Google Nests with any other connected device that has Google Duo. i.e. Tell your kitchen nest to call the bedroom nest or tell your phone to call the living room. imo this is better than the drop in feature of Alexa as the person needs to acknowledge the call with a tap to the device or a "answer" command and it acts as an actual Duo call.
I think you should have also talked about how both companies handle privacy.
I think it's pretty obvious...
I thought about including a section on privacy but I don’t think I could have done it justice in a short amount of time. I am planning on doing a dedicated video on it because there is a lot to go over.
@@SmartHomeSolver it'd be very cool if you do this video, can't wait
yess, i have big concerned on privacy
@@sartikahasibuan9190 don't worry your privacy was violated when you got a smart phone since your mic and camera can be connected anytime anywhere with little knowledge and software. As for data, that's worth a fortune to companies. So I wouldn't worry about Google and alexa at home.
7:28 “Create a smart home scene to impress her in case I forget to do everything else” LOOOL classic Reed
I’m already invested in the Google environment, so I’m hesitant to switch. Both brands are still missing important features.
I was extremely disappointed in Google’s decision to drop the security system. It blows my mind that they still haven’t switched to a more user friendly or customizable command word.
Google partnered with ADT and are very likely going to buy them out. When that happens, expect ADT to release a new panel (which is really a google panel)
The command word is very annoying. I am so sick of saying "Heil Google".
Knocked it out of the park Reed. Great review and love the ending; very clever as usual.
I use Amazon. I like that there are so many inexpensive devices/gadgets that work in this Echo System. I worry about any change of direction by the manufactures that obsoletes any of my devices. Google makes me think they are copying and/or doing a shotgun approach in their goals. Google has had the advantage of learning from Amazon's mistakes, but have they?
Really, for me it seems the opposite. Google may have been second in coming out with the device, but being the much larger company in the space, Google has catched up and at this point essentially surpassed Amazon. It seems like Amazon is the one copying to catch up now. Fire TV is copying Google TV, Luna is copying Stadia, etc etc.
The closing conversation with Alexa and Google Home cracks me 😂 that was hilarious!!!
Android user, loving the Amazon line for everything except the display - definitely considering the Nest Hub Max. How well would an Alexa driven ecosystem pair with a Nest Hub? I didn't fully understand that.
Dude, amazing videos. I just subscribed. I loved the camera work, the lighting, the cool transitions. And definitely loved when you were discussing Google Ai keeping the google device on focus, then blurred to the Amazon device. On 4:36 That got you my like and sub
I have both Google and Amazon in my house. For my purposes, the functionality is a toss up. I think Googles voice responses always sound more natural, but Alexa gets the job done just fine. In my opinion, Amazon blows away Google in their respective apps. The Alexa app is way more detailed and useful than the Google Home app.
that fight between alexa and google at the end was brilliant
Thanks for this Reed! Always glad to see an up to date comparison of these. I'm with Google at the moment and still happy with my choice, but I do agree that the drop in feature of Alexa is one big thing missing. I don't like how secretive Google are about their updates either, but we'll see what the future brings
Google. I'm minimalist, so have a nest mini hidden in every room so I can search google by voice. A nest hub in the bedroom as a picture frame, alarm clock. A google floodlight guarding my car and lighting the back garden. And a google cam above the front door that works well with the house PIR porch light and regular door bell. Everything is low maintenance and non-invasive. I paid a £50 year subscription for 30 day video storage.
I went with google since Alexa could not adjust for time zone in Saskatchewan and even get the time right. I called support 2 years ago and they said they were working on it.
ALSO good to know: I am on Vacation out of the country, I can drop in to any of my Echos & it works just the same as if I were there...
And so can you do the same with Google
Google can establish a continuous voice conversation between two Google devices in the same home, similar to Drop-In. I'm not referring to broadcasting... It's actual continuous two-way. The only difference is, with Google the person in the other room has to accept the call before letting you just pop-in and start listening to them.
Ur a fan boy of google I see.
@@SpaceStrike , I'm a fan of facts, data, and truth... but yes, I do prefer Google :)
FTR, I have both ecosystems in my home, and use both. They both have their strengths and weaknesses.
@@grayjohnr you must realize being a fan boy isn’t a bad thing. I am a fan boy of Marvel, Android and Thing’s likes that. Amazon lacks knowledge and hardly can answer questions, but a google is a little behind with smart home. I’m also mad google is taking away free google photos
@@SpaceStrike , I'm sorry about that... I'm used to people using that term as an insult. My apologies for misunderstanding.
I agree with you completely; it's why I have both ecosystems in my home. Google is amazing at answering questions, but is lacking behind Amazon in the home automation arena.
@@grayjohnr ah, no problem. I always end up fighting with people I don’t mean to. Sometimes I get to defensive just because of something I have, without proper knowledge of “the other side”. I only have Alexa in my home and having 2 would be a little too complicated for me, but for me as a student, google would have been more helpful. I hope they can both end up being even. Do you use HomeKit? I think it has potential but I doubt it’s really ready yet because it seems like to get the HomeKit sticker the price is 1.7x more
this is exactly the video ive spent 4 hours truing to find clear info with a good indication of the good and bad :)
Excellent review. I loved the DropIn Alexa feature before switching to Google/Nest Minis. IMHO, Google home has a few benefits not mentioned here. The first is device organization in the app. Alexa Groups appear to be equivalent to Google's Rooms, but they just didn't work the same for me,, though it's been too long for me to remember why. Also, when I used Alexa it had a nasty habit of duplicating some devices which I had to periodically cleanup. Second, I couldn't get Alexa to consistently let me control devices in a room without including the device name in my command. No matter what room you go into in my house, you can voice control "lights", "main lights", "lamps", temperature, "fans" etc without specifying the room or device name, and you can turn everything on/off by room name. E.g. "turn off the kitchen". Alexa might leap frog, but for the past year I've been able to say "turn the lights on[off] in the kitchen and living room". Also useful to me is using Google Assistant on my phone. E.g. in AZ I have fans on my patio and fountains in the front courtyard and back patio. I can turn these on and off by voice regardless of my location in the house and without unlocking my phone by simply saying "hey google, turn on the fountains" or "turn on the patio fans". A year ago, I don't think Alexa could match this simplicity. For my core use, I consider these features to outweigh some of the fringe benefits of Alexa, though I'd like Google to copy a few of them:-)
Solely based off of this unbiased review...I'm a new subscriber.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO COMPARE IN SUCH DETAIL!
I am primarily on a Google home based ecosystem but now I want a few sensors. Thinking of getting one alexa device to run sensor based routines
I can use the Google assistant on my iPhone or my iPad to run various routines, etc. So you do not need an android phone for that. I also use the Hubitat to control all my smart home devices. I also have the Google calendar and notes installed on my iPad and iPhone for a smooth integration with my Google mini home mini devices. I find it much easier to add an appointment or reminder by voice than two tap tap tap whoosh up, whoosh down on my phone.
I sold off my echo dot. I dunno why it respond slowly and never seems to get it right. The response is just not as smooth as my Google home mini. Google voice sounds more human and natural. It also works great with chromecast
I know right I use my Google nest mini with my Nest E thermostat and new Chromecast and it works pretty fast and sounds very natural one thing I did notice I have a c by ge smart blub for my room and compared to the google home mini when I ask the nest mini it just makes a chime and immediately turns it off compared to saying "turning off bedroom light" and there a couple of subtle difference's they're both great 👍😊
@@micahjohnson9184 even though I do like google assistant, I am afraid they will shelf it one day. Google is not a good hardware company. They never listen and never change much of their ugly interface. Even Chromecast they haven't fix the darker bar at the bottom when playing your photo albums. If I can afford a home pod mini I might try Siri
@@just4therecord If it's interface your worried about if enough people want it they should change it if it's software. For the new Chromecast with google tv I get full screen images but it could just be the aspect ratio they decided to place on it I'd let them know about it anyway in case they decide to change it in the future. I'm glad they took a step down in hardware from there phones I'm loving the pixel 4a. Anyways it's cool whatever your comfortable with go with that just know if you have a android google would integrate a lot better than siri if you have a iphone google assistant would be more difficult to use but you can try to use siri with android that might be really tough idk 🤔 apple really loves it's ecosystem to be tight 😅 but I'm here for you if you need anything!
Google does have the microphone security feature for breaking glass and smoke alarms too
I'm currently using Alexa, and for the most part, I'm pretty happy with it. What annoys me most is how much of the options you discuss are ONLY AVAILABLE TO American customers. Guard would be awesome, geofencing would be spectacular, but since I'm 7km (3.5 miles) north of the border I'm treated like I'm in the 3rd world. Customer service can't or won't say when or if those options will be available to people outside of the US.
Yes, I know that I can set up an account that says I'm American, but then I loose delivery notifications for Amazon purchases.
So much for having a smart home that has the intelligence of a 2 year s old
In the UK it's the same it takes the piss
Have your Amazon purchases sent to an "Amazon Hub" or "Amazon Locker" 8k (4.97 miles) south of where you live. If there's not too much hassle at the border crossing, you might find that idea worth considering. That way, you won't have to worry about package thefts as well.
Just have Amazon delivery notifications on your phone
Team Amazon here. Actually got a great deal a month ago on 3 Echo dots with the clock to replace my older 2nd generation ones and they are finally coming today. I also preordered the new Echo Show 10 to replace my first-generation Show which still works well but felt it was time to upgrade. We use the routines a lot as well.
Nice! I'm excited to try out the Echo Show 10 when it ships in a few weeks.
@@SmartHomeSolver thank
@@SmartHomeSolver free
Team SIRI! 😜 Great video as always! It nice to see what the other voice assistants are up to sometimes.
Siri who?! ...Jk Siri has gotten better 😂 I've been meaning to message you too about one of my upcoming videos.
I had a ring video doorbell pro and I returned it to get the google nest doorbell. I love how much faster the google is to see who is at the door compared to the few seconds it took my ring device to do so
Here in Sweden we only have the Swedish language in Google, so the choice is really easy for us 👍.
But i like it, works absolutely perfect.
Thanks for the video.
Edit: worth to mention, is that i use it togheter with a Raspberry pi 4 and home assistant.
And with home assistant most issues are gone.
You can easily trigger routines on sensors and just have the pucks as voice commands
@@TheHellis Thanks, yeah I'm starting to realise the potential. :-)
Our home is google-samsung. Yes, the both are fighting all the time. But I love google and samsung products because of their looks. We use simplie safe because NEST is no longer. I don't care for ADT (dont care how number 1 they are). I find Ring products to be hideous but if I had to do it again, I might use Ring only because they are decently priced.
We do have a few Echo around the house, since we are big Amazon shopping family which makes the notifications and shopping on them easy.
I think though when creating a smart house the number one rule you should fallow is how crazy do you want to get. I think if you find products that are easily compatible is the way to go. Becuase trying to make one work with another is going to make you crazy.
Great vid man
I Personally like the google assistant more for my everyday need, and my Google clouds apis
Team Amazon.. just so much more fun and customizable with everything and that’s personally what I love about her and all these cool weird added features like the whisper thing
Hey Samuel! Lol
The Google assistant is much better than Alexa from my experience. The 'smarter' features of Echo devices pale in comparison to a custom setup with Home Assistant (which can be controlled by both Alexa and Google). If you want simple and effective, go for Google. If you want custom and smart, go for Google with Home Assistant.
I have both but i want to point out my google routines are automated they go on and off on their own, timed just from the google home app. I wasn't sure if you meant they are automated only with a specific way or not. But if you have an android phone you can set routines to be automatic. technically if you use that app, you can do this with iPhone and iPad as well since the home app is in the apple store too. So there is an asterisk. Hopefully it becomes easier overtime, but some of those automation that Alexa has, google also has, just takes some searching and playing around, but if you are like me and have or is wanting to have a completely smart home, you are going to do all those long set ups anyway.
Team Google. The Nest Hello with Nest Hub Max is tough to beat.
Team Google, because it's simple and has everything i want already. For the automation part, i usually do it with SmartThings or Smart Life for some of my Tuya devices
That ending was gold!!!! 😂😂😂
I have been team Google for years and have just about all of their smart products. I have been considering getting an Amazon device just to broaden my options.
Oh and by the way, Google displays and speakers do in fact have the features of listening for glass breaking as well as smoke detectors.
Great video!
Also, google assistant is way more smarter and conversational regardless of the accent.
Man this has to be one of the best reviews I'v ever seen. I'm buying everything
Excellent review of the two major voice assistants. I agree Amazon is the much better of the two, but the competition btw companies keeps costs down & hopefully new features up!
Question from a beginner.. If all I care about are routines and automation, does it make any difference which one I pick (Google or Alexa..), if I have them connected to a "real" hub like smarttings of hubitat..?
Wouldn't the role of the voice assistant just be, to start the hub's automations?
The part at the end where Google turns off the smart outlet is really funny! Also, my family uses Alexa, but I’m trying to push us towards Siri.
Very interesting, Thankyou. Still can’t decide 🤦🏻♀️😂😂😂
That ending tho! 👌🏻😂
I'm pretty heavily invested in google's ecosystem, so I was leaning that way to start automating my home. Now I'm not so sure.
You can have both if you want. I'm invested more in the Google ecosystem as well but have both, and there's nothing wrong with Google Home ecosystem. Just plan on getting a hub and somethings to make the connections to a bit faster and take the strain off of wifi but when he said Google isn't invested in the Assistant or smart home the smart home part maybe true but the Assistant part is false compared to Alexa yes both companies put work into the assistant. For being able to understand two people at the same time is really cool from Alexa but Google takes that a step further then you look at the stuff they are doing at Google IO with LAMDA, and understanding context and searching and giving better answers most of the time than Alexa because they amount of data assistant has is huge. I would much rather have google help with school or business work. I ask it questions frequently I don't know the answer to so I find Google more useful. But if it's automations having a couple of Amazon devices is a go to!
I'm team Google. But I have Alexa devices around the home. I've heard that Google has some major news coming mid year re new devices and features (also a new security kit) But could be nothing.
Keep up the awesome work, this is my favourite YT tech channel :)
Thank you! And that's very interesting, I always appreciate a good rumor so we'll have to see if it's true.
Could you do a video on ikea smart home stuff?
I use echo at my home and when I'm living away from home for automated routines for my smart devices, while I use Google assistant for small active tasks because I own an Android.
I had used Google for 3-4 years until December. Tried out Amazon and I don’t think I’ll be going back to Google anytime soon.
First I bought an Echo, and the lack of some basic features, poorly coded skills and bad integration with other services drove me nuts, so I bought the Nest Audio. Some of the stuff I was missing on the Echo; I finally have them. But now, other features I had on the Echo are lacking on my Nest Audio and this drives me even more nuts.
Especially when all my other devices respond to "OK, Google" because there's only 1 wake-up word to choose from, and that wake-up word allows way too much room for errors. I can wake up my Nest and other devices with Google Assistant with words like "Eggo", "Egg Roll", "Hey Boo Boo" and something even "Echo", and I end up talking to 2 different assistants
I use Google because every member of my family including myself has an Android phone, and I find the routines very convenient to use. Also Amazon does not ship to my country, Echo products are actually very hard to get
I've had google for about four years. Then I added amazon (on amazon prime day). There are features that I like on both of them. But if I had to choose, I would choose google.
You've done a great job at helping me. Amazon wins!
Totally agree with most of what you said but Amazons track record on privacy is a big no, no for me and it needs to be mentioned far more!
Great point. I'm planning a separate video all about privacy since this video was already long, so I appreciate the suggestion!
While there are some nice features in the Amazon device, I can't imagine putting all of my eggs in one basket, as it were. I don't just a complete Google ecosphere either, but I tend to like Google as a company more than I like Amazon as a company, so I lean towards their stuff.
Still not so sure on which one to get... Want to start automating my office, mainly simple tasks like, "set a reminder" or "turn my pc on", maybe add a doorbell and connect it to a display. Set modes to like "night shift mode" (when I'm working at night) or stuff like that.
I'm just getting in to home automation after being out of it for many years. I got setup with SmartThings a few weeks before everything disappeared and I've decided on Google for a few reasons. The first is that I really want the hello doorbell. I like the familiar face recognition. My local utility gives a major discount for smart thermostats so I've got a Google thermostat on the way. I think the Google ecosystem will integrate well with my Galaxy phone which I enjoy. I do really want to get the Brilliant wall switches but I'm waiting on hello integration. It seems like Google is at least making an attempt to open up their integrations and I'm really hoping that will continue. I've been mostly happy with SmartThings so far but it's really disappointing that they're moving away from devices that I'd really like to purchase.
We're trying to DE-Google our home. Slow & painful process. Can you educate us on the Gab cell phone we're starting to hear about?
As a beginning user, I’m a little sad to see amazon come out on top. Such a big decision on which assistant to go all in on. I chose Google. Just picked up my Google nest hub to go along with my Google nest mini, govee lighting, and smart outlets. I’m happy so far, but not being able to hold conversations across devices has been something I wanted to see implemented on Google. I hope they can catch up!
Same I'm team google as well, google is a little behind in terms of task. There are things that google is slightly ahead of too like answering questions but I'm sure Google will catch up eventually like how they implemented home and away routines eliminates the use for smart tags/ nfc tags to start automations they have big plans for smart home innovation.
@@micahjohnson9184 Here’s to hoping they do just that! 👍🏻
Researched a lot a year ago before I had anything. Went with Alexa and no hub of any kind. Now we have Echos, Dots, Flexes, motion sensor on Flexes, Firesticks, bulbs, sockets, light strips, light bars, security cameras.....all compatible with Alexa. The range for the Dots is excellent. My router (New Taotronics) handles all the devices easily. I do have one Chrome Cast which I started using again when we found one app we couldn’t get on Firestick. My husband is technologically challenged, but he loves Alexa and uses the voice commands easily, and loves the Amazon music. We have never experienced Alexa being unable to understand our questions. And love the whisper mode! The Drop In is a wonderful feature as my husband spends his days in his woodworking shop. I can drop in anytime and speak to him, or hear that he has a machine going and can’t hear me. So much better than trying to ring him up on a telecom system that we used to use. Love Alexa!
I started with Google, tried Amazon on whim they were giving the Echo shows and Dots about 8 months ago and I much prefer Amazon overall. I will say, their camera system integration, at least as it being a security system, is sub par. Decent for seeing who is at your door, but not a 24/7 recording solution, simply not reliable enough.
I'm new to this space and I just ordered myself an echo show 5 and the new Google Chrome cast with Google TV. I super excited about it.
I try to build everything with having no internet connectivity in mind, but that's difficult, when it comes to voice control. And Alexa clearly wins on that part.
I had both assistants for about a year while I slowly made my house a smart home. Right off the bat I noticed how google home was difficult to navigate and slow to update routines. Something simple like when I say " I'm watering the yard," I wanted google to set a 15 minute timer. It took a few days before google did what I wanted, and a few days more to unlearn the routine once it was deleted. Alexa is simple to use, and navigate with similar terms for functions so it's easy to cross over. Routines were instantly available to use or unlearn. I have a Ring system with automations going all day all over the house. And that's not even going over the blueprints, which help a lot when my wife doesn't know what commands I put in. She can just ask, alexa "how do I...," And she can have all the answers. Google fell flat for me, and I ended up giving it away to a neighbor so they could get their feet wet on the smart assistant thing. But I still say, alexa is best. Sales are common enough for alexa to drop to the 20 dollar range, and with a free light bulb to go with it, it's a great deal. Go Team Alexa!
They can't lower the price of Alexa,, they are already on track to lose $10 Billion dollars because of Alexa In 2022 .. ( Simple google with show this).. It appears Amazon didn't accomplish what they wanted with the ALEXA home.. and that wasn't for it to be used as a home assistant originally .. they wanted it so people could easily ORDER stuff on AMAZON. and people aren't using for that. and it's NOT making them the $$$ they thought it would? it's costing a LOT to run it.. and other than just selling the devices.. folks aren't using it as intended to easily order things from Amazon.. here's a post to a few articles on it.. thus I'm holding off on Alexa to see what happens.
I don't say this to DIS Alexa it's a great device on it's own.. I say all this cause it's important if your going to invest a LOT of money and time into setting up a Home assistant etc.. you should at least be aware that once your setup they can pull the plug!! .. question is how many billion does Amazon need to lose before it pulls the Alexa plug? MAYBE NONE.. maybe never... but I"ve never known companies to take Billion dollars losses on one device year after year (think 2018 or 2019 they lost 5 Billion on it ).... I'm going with google.. they are an information company.. Amazon is a distributor mainly who tried to dabble in something they thought would get people to buy more products, just sitting on the couch. it didn't work. and there losing Billions on it.
appleinsider.com/articles/22/11/22/amazon-alexa-bled-10-billion-in-cash-in-2022
htxt.co.za/2022/11/amazon-alexa-is-a-massive-failure-despite-high-sales-new-report/
Team Google,because I use it a lot to search and find answers to my doubts and questions. Google does it way way better than echo
Dude 100% same reason for me. Just understanding the context of our questions that we need help with is great, and if it can be a part of the smart home that's a plus.
Hey, something that might interest you. A couple of days ago my Amazon account was closed with no warning for after hours of wasted time they're telling me it's for excessive returns which I think is an error but that's beside the point. When they closed my Amazon account all my Amazon devices that I own for years primarily all my Echo devices stopped working. I lost access to the Amazon Photos and Prime Video which I pay for. So apparently the devices you already own are subject to be disabled by Amazon on your perceived shopping habits! I assume the same applies to all other Amazon devices and services like fire OS tablets, Ring cameras, and probably AWS as well. Just wanted to make other people aware of this because they definitely don't tell you this when you buy your hardware and services.
Hey Reid. Love the videos but I've noticed a lot of your automations involve the use of smartthings sensors and devices which are seemingly discontinued. Any suggestions on budget friendly alternatives? I looked at aeotec but $60 for one sensor is a bit out of range
I’m wondering if you can help me. I need basically an AI assistant to help manage my kids (single mom) while i work. Basically a timer to yell at the kids, “it’s 5:30, start making dinner” or “7:00, start taking showers”. I don’t need it to power doors or lights or anything. What am I looking for at the best price point?