I now have both, The Google Home Assistant Mini is on sale right now so why not.
It is difficult to compare the two The Google Home Assistant functions with the large number of Google App’s. It does not have Bluetooth, nor a 3.5mm sudio output as the Alexa does. For these wireless functions it addresses a Chromcast Dongle. I ordered a Chromcast Dongle, been meaning to anyway. The thing that makes the Google home Assistant interesting is the fact it is not tied to Amazon like the Echo is. You can use the Google shopping function to find the best price on something, ask for directions to someplace and it loads it into Google Maps on your smart phone. I am just scratching to surface with what it can do. If I had to give a name to the Google Home Assistant it is a concierge, in fact I wonder why Google did pick that for it’s name. It’s interface with my iPhone using the Google App’s I have loaded is excellent but what it does with an Android phone especially the Google Pixel phones is right out of science fiction. You can use it to communicate with other Google Home Assistant devices, and Smart phone using a mutually agreed contact list, alert: zombie invasion, tornado, “I’ve Fallen and I can’t get up” etc. you can make phone calls on the Echo but not like the Google HA. One of the things it can do is make phone calls for you, listening to it really weirded me out. The example was restaurant reservations. You tell the Assistant you want reservations about 8:00pm for 4 people at a specified eatery. The device calls, an AI representative for you talks with the reservation desk and negotiates the time, makes the reservation and reports back to you. With this said I will have to grow into these functions. Right now I can say Hey Siri call Joes Steak House and talk to them myself.
The Echo Dot. It does not have the independent functionality of the Google. It does not have integration with my iPhone the Google home Mini has. The Echo mostly works out of the Alexa app. It has what is called Skills but you set them up on the Alexa app but you mostly use them on the Echo. The Echo Dot device itself is much better than the Google Home mini. Better microphones, better status visuals, much better user feed back. The Echo frequently asks if that is the answer you were looking for and with either reply the Echo reports this, as metadata, back to Echo’s servers and human staff for continued improvement. To do this with the Home Assistant you have open it’s app. Because of the Echo’s integration with Amazon you get notifications of status of orders. It now works with the Ring Door Bell and when your Amazon delivery comes it turns on it’s camera so you can see the delivery and if you have a problem Porch Pirates records them as well. The Ring can do this anyway but this is specifically tied into Amazon.
At this point in time the Amazon Echo is the clearly the best choice. I can see why it has 73% of this market. The device it’s self is much better, built in Bluetooth, and the 3.5mm audio output, much better status lighting, up down volume buttons. I have my Echo Dot feeding into a Lepai LP-2020TI from there into a pair of Dayton Audio B652’s. Right now I am listening to live Opera on WQXR. At this time there are more Echo Dots in the works, we will see about the Google.
It is difficult to compare the two The Google Home Assistant functions with the large number of Google App’s. It does not have Bluetooth, nor a 3.5mm sudio output as the Alexa does. For these wireless functions it addresses a Chromcast Dongle. I ordered a Chromcast Dongle, been meaning to anyway. The thing that makes the Google home Assistant interesting is the fact it is not tied to Amazon like the Echo is. You can use the Google shopping function to find the best price on something, ask for directions to someplace and it loads it into Google Maps on your smart phone. I am just scratching to surface with what it can do. If I had to give a name to the Google Home Assistant it is a concierge, in fact I wonder why Google did pick that for it’s name. It’s interface with my iPhone using the Google App’s I have loaded is excellent but what it does with an Android phone especially the Google Pixel phones is right out of science fiction. You can use it to communicate with other Google Home Assistant devices, and Smart phone using a mutually agreed contact list, alert: zombie invasion, tornado, “I’ve Fallen and I can’t get up” etc. you can make phone calls on the Echo but not like the Google HA. One of the things it can do is make phone calls for you, listening to it really weirded me out. The example was restaurant reservations. You tell the Assistant you want reservations about 8:00pm for 4 people at a specified eatery. The device calls, an AI representative for you talks with the reservation desk and negotiates the time, makes the reservation and reports back to you. With this said I will have to grow into these functions. Right now I can say Hey Siri call Joes Steak House and talk to them myself.
The Echo Dot. It does not have the independent functionality of the Google. It does not have integration with my iPhone the Google home Mini has. The Echo mostly works out of the Alexa app. It has what is called Skills but you set them up on the Alexa app but you mostly use them on the Echo. The Echo Dot device itself is much better than the Google Home mini. Better microphones, better status visuals, much better user feed back. The Echo frequently asks if that is the answer you were looking for and with either reply the Echo reports this, as metadata, back to Echo’s servers and human staff for continued improvement. To do this with the Home Assistant you have open it’s app. Because of the Echo’s integration with Amazon you get notifications of status of orders. It now works with the Ring Door Bell and when your Amazon delivery comes it turns on it’s camera so you can see the delivery and if you have a problem Porch Pirates records them as well. The Ring can do this anyway but this is specifically tied into Amazon.
At this point in time the Amazon Echo is the clearly the best choice. I can see why it has 73% of this market. The device it’s self is much better, built in Bluetooth, and the 3.5mm audio output, much better status lighting, up down volume buttons. I have my Echo Dot feeding into a Lepai LP-2020TI from there into a pair of Dayton Audio B652’s. Right now I am listening to live Opera on WQXR. At this time there are more Echo Dots in the works, we will see about the Google.
