Top 5 Smart Speakers to lookout for in 2020
The top smart speakers of 2020 are the most hard working gadget ever as it not only plays our favourite music, it also helps to control our smart home devices and comes with our favourite virtual assistant always ready to solve our questions. These voice assistants have literally taken over our homes by playing our music, ready to answer our questions, tell us about the news and weather updates etc.
Apple, Google and Amazon all make efficient smart speakers and their rivalry has made this segment quite appealing. Amazon has been a pioneer in smart speakers with the advent of the original Echo and virtual assistant Alexa. Today there is a diverse range of smart speakers available from different companies each with their own set of pros and cons. If you are confused about making the best choice, allow us to lead you to the right choice.
Amazon Echo Dot (3rd generation)
It is insanely difficult to choose the best speaker these days as customers are spoilt with the number of choices available. Amazon and Google both have proficient smart speakers that are economically viable. If you do not wish to deal with the humdrum of the category and just wish to try out your first smart speaker, you should go for 3rd generation Amazon Echo Dot. It has been noted that Amazon’s voice assistant has more abilities than Siri or Google Assistant. You would be pleasantly surprised that the third generation Amazon smart speaker looks and sounds much better than its predecessors and yet costs only 50 USD. That being said, you do sacrifice some sound quality for this price. However, it can easily add value as it plugs into your own speakers.
Sonos One
Sonos one priced at USD 200 enables you to pair two play stereo sound but even one speaker sounds good to play a wide range of music categories and costs much less than premium quality smart speakers like Google Home Max and Apple HomePod. Sonos One comes with both Alexa and Google Voice Assistant built in which you can simply choose during set up or you can control with Siri. You can choose between top three voice assistants from Apple, Amazon and Google at this price which is tough to beat.
Apple HomePod
If you are looking for the best sound quality overall, Apple HomePod is your best bet to play your favourite music. The sound quality is at par with similarly priced Google Home Max and way better than that of Sonos One. There are some limitations to using an Apple HomePod as you can only play music from Apple Music using a voice command. Unfortunately, you will not have the option to stream your Spotify playlist. This shouldn’t be news to Apple users who have already spent a good chunk of money in Apple products and are just looking for premium sound quality.
Google Nest Mini
Amazon was the undisputed leader in the smart speaker segment however, Google has done a remarkable job with its digital assistant sound. The Google Assistant is now at par with Alexa and hence 50 USD for a Google Nest Mini is a steal. The Google Nest Mini also works better with your other smart home devices if you are unable to remember the exact name of the devices. Moreover, Google Assistant can distinguish different voices and hence it is a good choice if used by multiple people. Google has the expertise in assistant intelligence and hence Google Nest Mini is an ultimate option at a giveaway price.
Amazon Echo Plus
Alexa and Google Assistant are compatible with most of the devices and help you command them easily. As mentioned above, Google Assistant is better than Alexa but Alexa works with more smart home devices. Alexa is actually smart at sending you notifications if your smart speaker hears glass breaking or detects smoke. The Echo Plus has a great sound and smart-home hub built in so it is easy to sync other devices rather than buying new ones.
Finally, these are the five best smart speakers of 2020 according to us. There are other smart speakers available in the market with built in Alexa or Google Assistant. If you are still confused, we would recommend you to figure out which platforms and functionalities you like. This will enable you to make your choice easy.
Keval Padia is the founder & CEO of Nimblechapps, a fast-growing mobile app development company. The current innovation and updates of the field lures him to express his views and thoughts on certain topics.