Google Home
All the same pros and cons of Alexa.
It might cost $50 more, but Google’s Home definitely has a more mature feel to the setup software than the Echo. The voice recognition also appears to work much better than the Echo, only occasionally creeping us out by suddenly activating Spotify when I was midconversation with a friend. This is likely because Google has had more time to develop recognition of the Australian accent than Amazon.
One huge benefit that Home has over Alexa is that it’s compatible with Google’s Chromecast solution, which is built into most modern smart TVs, or can be bought for about $40. This makes it much easier to setup to control your HTPC or TV, but again we did find it a little picky about scrolling through lists of shows and videos. It’s definitely not as finicky as the Echo though, and I found that I actually used it a lot more on my beautiful Sony A8V TV, which already has a built-in Chromecast. The Home was simply nicer to use.
Like the Echo, this is also a speaker, so you can use it to help boost your TV’s sound system, or play standalone Spotify tunes. It also controls every other Smart device in your house, and the Google ecosystem appears to be much larger than Amazon’s.
In summary, compared to the complexities of the Echo, we found the Home to be a refreshing change, being both easy to setup and use. And there’s nothing more impressive to your low-tech friends when you’re controlling your home theatre simply by speaking at it, then, perhaps, adding their voice and letting them enjoy it for themselves.