- (Photo : Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Smart speaker’s battle of wits – is the neophyte Google Home smarter than Alexa?
Google’s Assistant, Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and Microsoft’s Cortana – virtual assistants that are battling each other. As Google is releasing its Google Home, a rival of Amazon Echo speakers, users are quick to compare the wits of these two smart speakers.
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The audio quality is better in Google Home, Wired reports. Further, the aesthetics of Home looks like “elegant vase-meets-lipstick design” compared to the Amazon Echo which looks like “Darth Maul’s spaghetti canister.” Being a new player in the smart speaker industry, Google Home is not compatible with much third-party apps. Amazon Echo speakers can order things on Amazon Prime. The price point, however, tells a different story. The Google Home costs $130 USD, the full-sized Echo is priced at$180 USD while the Dot costs $50 USD.
Several reports have surfaced, comparing Google Home and Alexa in terms of wits. The New York Times gave them both a pop quiz by asking the same questions. The reporter concluded that Amazon’s Alexa was not as smart as Google Assistant. There were questions that Google would be able to answer through its vast database of search engine results, while Alexa wouldn’t. The report also mentions there were occasions of Alexa winning over Google in wits. But, “Most of the time, however, Google has answers when Alexa fails,” concludes the report.
In a video by Mashable, Amazon’s Alexa was stomped by Google Home. When asked “When did Michael Jordan retire?” Google Assistant answered, “Michael Jordan career end 1995 and 2003,” and was able to answer the succeeding questions of how tall he is, and does he have kids. Alexa’s response, however, is “Sorry, I didn’t understand the question I heard.” When asked about a meatloaf recipe, Alexa offered a Bing search link, while Google Home dictated the steps.
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Indeed, virtual assistants have come a long way. Casting competition aside, Google Home and Amazon Echo speakers are as smart as VA’s these days could be.
