Hey Google, should I buy you?
It’s something that’s rapidly evolving. Voice assistants can do almost everything for us. They were one of the most popular gifts of 2020. Does that mean that we can trust them? Should you get one for yourself? Which one? AAAAAHHHHH so many questions! So curl up with your favorite voice assistant(it’s fine I don’t have friends either) and get ready to learn all about voice assistants. I just hope it’s not spying on you in the meantime👀.
What are voice assistants anyway?
They’re not something we had around for a long time. But, since Apple’s release of the iPhone 4 in 2010, we’ve taken Siri, or Google Home, or Alexa, for granted. It’s quite impressive how far this technology has come.
We’ve now made it routine to ask our voice assistants to “set a timer” or “add chill time with my dog to my calendar.” Perhaps, you may even ask your voice assistant to This technology is constantly evolving.
What about you?
So what would YOU need it for?
In all honesty, not for much. The majority of smartphones have google assistants or Siri, or anything else built-in. These smart speakers are useful for setting timers, which you can do on your phone, calling, which again you can do on your phone.
I use it for nothing else than broadcasting. If you’re not familiar with what broadcasting is, it’s basically glorified walkie-talkies.
So let’s get down to business, and I’ll keep it short, because, wherever you’re reading this, you probably don’t have too much time.
If you’re in the market for something to keep you company, or if you want to do a quick action, from anywhere in your residence, then get an assistant.
If you’re in the market for something that you can reach anywhere and ask anything, then get a voice assistant.
Lastly, and this is a biggie, if you like listening to music, then DEFINITELY get one. It’s perfect, and you can ask your assistant to play music for you.
Great, you’ve told me all this, but
Which one do I buy?
Once again it depends. I can’t make that decision for you, but I can certainly help!
I’ve split this up into categories to help make it easier.
iOS- Siri Homepod
This one’s simple. If you have iOS, this is the one you go for, hands down. It has all of the features that iOS users will enjoy, such as access to your Apple Music playlists.
While the homepod isn’t known as widely as the google home or amazon echo, it offers the same features, custom for iOS users.
You can find it on Apple’s website, starting at $99
Android- Google Home Mini, Nest Mini
Now, technically( see what I did there) the google home and the nest mini are made by the same parent company, Google. But, they offer varying features.
If you want premium audio, the Nest Mini’s your pick
However, if you don’t care too much about audio, and want standard features such as turning off the lights, or turning on the tv, for a cheaper price, then the Home Mini is the better option.
Nest Mini retails for $30.00 and Google Home Mini retails for $25.99
Amazon- Amazon Echo
Now Amazon’s Alexa is the “brand name” smart home speaker. It was the Echo that started the voice assistant fad. And we have to give credit where it’s due. It’s a great speaker, for a decent price, with ample features.
But, is this better than a google home?
If you’re a heavily dependant amazon user, then yes. Absolutely yes. You can play your amazon music soundtracks, order items on Amazon, and much more.
However, if you’re like the majority of Americans, and use streaming services like Spotify and have an android phone, then this isn’t your poison.
If you already have a Ring doorbell and want to integrate with your home, then you should go ahead and get the echo, other than that, the Google Assitant outperforms Alexa.
Amazon’s Echo starts at $29.99
Now comes the all-time favorite question
Will they spy on me?
You can rest assured, no voice assistant will spy on you.
If you’d still prefer that piece of mind, then you can mute the assistant so it only hears you when you unmute.
Apart from that, I don’t see why you would be scared of anyone spying on you.
Smart Assistants are the future, regardless of the form that they take, and I think it’s best to welcome the future. After all, the future is changing, and it’s best to be the change.
Otherwise, you’d have no one to tell you that your stove has been on 24 hours and is about to explode.
Thanks for techting with me, and until next time
~DV
