Alexa and Google Assistant – voice assistants compared

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Google health home vs. Amazon Echo: Alexa and Google Assistant features

Voice assistants are the first step in the private Internet of Things (IoT). They combine two functions: making everyday life easier and networking and integrating devices that can then be controlled by voice via Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. The devices achieve the latter by, for example, saving verbal shopping or to-do lists in writing and reading them out on call, waking up their owners in the morning or reminding them of appointments.

It is practical that voice control through intelligent loudspeakers is always better, since they can learn from user habits. Google and Amazon also offer different versions of their speakers for every budget. At Amazon, a small version of the Echo speaker is the Echo Dot, at Google the Nest Mini.

Amazon Echo (3rd Gen.), dark blue fabric 

Smart speaker with 360-degree premium sound and voice control with Alexa

Popular voice assistant for the smart health home

Voice assistants respond to calls: Desired actions are initiated via an activation word so that the assistants know that they are meant. In the Amazon Echo, this is the name of the voice assistant "Alexa", the counterpart from Google reacts to "Hey Google" or "Ok Google". A typical voice command would be, for example, "Alexa, what time is it?" Or "Ok Google, what day do we have today?" Both Google health home and Amazon Echo light up on the top of the device to show that the voice assistants are active and responding then the questioner. In particular, the personal approach and verbal feedback make the language assistants popular assistants.

Voice assistants are open systems: The voice assistants Alexa and Google Assistant are open systems. This means they can be expanded with new functions from third-party providers and are always learning new things.

Alexa skills and Google Actions: In principle, the functions are app models. Amazon called these apps or additional functions skills, with the Google Assistant the small programs are called Actions. Thousands of Alexa skills are already available for the German-speaking world, Google Assistant offers fewer actions and is somewhat behind Alexa. Google health home users can find a selection of different actions in our article The Best Google Skills for Google health home. Amazon Alexa users have a very large selection from a total of 23 categories to choose from various skills relating to fitness, smart health home, film and television or lifestyle. We have put together an overview of the 111 best Alexa skills.

Google shortcuts and Alexa routines: Both Alexa and Google Assistant impress with their range of services that are available to the user from the first minute. It is particularly useful to add your own voice commands that users can link to certain actions. With Alexa, this function is called routines, with the Google Assistant, there are shortcuts. Overall, the range of pre-installed assistant functions is balanced. Both assistants serve well.

Amazon Echo vs. Google health home: operation and interior

We have extensively tested and compared the speakers from Google and Amazon

(E HEALTH / health home & smart) 

The operation of smart speakers with integrated voice assistance is very easy. Once smart health connected to the power and coupled with the corresponding app, Echo and Google health home can be addressed directly and are ready for use thanks to the activation word. A light animation directly on the device signals for all models from the manufacturer which process is currently being implemented or whether there is a problem. For example, that the voice assistant registers the activation word, listens, searches for an answer or microphones are currently switched off. Google relies on touch operation of the speakers, whereas Amazon offers versions of the speaker control buttons with symbols.

Basic function: In the early models of intelligent speakers, the focus was not on high sound quality and the comparison with Hi-Fi alternatives was unthinkable. In the meantime, the sound quality has improved significantly, although the actual loudspeaker focus is on understanding commands or questions from the user and this despite possible background noises such as traffic or conversations in the same room. In this area of ​​responsibility, both models perform well in the Review thanks to integrated near-field communication.

When answering questions, Alexa refers to Bing, Google Assistant has the advantage here and obtains its information on its own search engine.

Improved sound quality of the smart speakers: In terms of sound quality, more recent models from Amazon now offer improved sound: Echo 3 has a 76 mm neodymium woofer and 20 mm tweeters. With Amazon Echo Studio, Amazon offers a speaker, especially for music fans. For good sound with the Google counterpart, users have to use Google health home Max, which has installed two 114 mm double voice coil subwoofers with high deflection in the interior.

Amazon Alexa vs. Google Assistant – individual communication

Voice assistants answer questions, provide information about the current weather, carry out automation in the smart health home on command and control compatible devices. Communication between people and virtual assistants is becoming more and more individual. In comparison, Alexa’s voice assistant is ahead: Users can, for example, change Alexa's voice speed or activate an Alexa whisper mode. Change Alexa's voice, e.g. B. from a female to a male shade is unfortunately not possible without the use of special skills. With the competitor, however, this is possible, here the voice of Google Assistant can be changed and a male or female voice will then respond to inquiries from the users.

Conclusion individual communication: Google and Amazon attach great importance to individual communication. This is also reflected in the content level. Both language assistants learn every day and adapt to user habits. Communication with the voice assistant is not limited to the four walls and the intelligent loudspeaker. When used on smartphones, they are constant, mobile companions wherever you are.

Amazon vs. Google – various entertainment options

In addition to being used as a practical source of information, Google and Amazon allow various entertainment options. In comparison, we tested the following music and ehealth streaming options for their differences.

Entertainment factor music: Both voice assistants have a high entertainment factor. Integrated into the loudspeaker, they provide the right music on command and, with the appropriate model, the music boxes even deliver extremely good sound. The multiroom function is a great added value. If several echoes or Google health home devices are in use in the house, they can be grouped together and thus play music at the same time. The sound is then output via the smart health connected Bluetooth box, while the voice commands continue to be recorded via the microphones integrated in the Echo or Google health home.

Voice control with music streaming services: Voice control of music playback via an Echo or Google health home loudspeaker preferably works via the integration of streaming services. With Google health home, this happens via Google Play Music and with Amazon via Amazon Music, in the cloud of which the user can upload their own music. Instructions can be found by Google health home users in the article Setting up and playing music with Google health home and Mini and owners of an Echo speaker in the article Alexa with Amazon Music.

Conclusion music streaming: Both providers convince through cooperations with third-party providers such as Spotify, which can be activated via the Google health home app or the Alexa app. The prerequisite is that the user has a premium subscription to one of the integrated services. The negative is that both solutions prefer their own music services and exclude the direct competitor without detours. If you already use the Google Play Music service, you should give preference to Google health home here, customers of Amazon Music, Amazon Prime Music or Amazon Music Unlimited are definitely better off with the Amazon Echo.

Entertainment factor TV streaming: Both Amazon and Google offer special streaming sticks for the TV that are plugged into the HDMI connection. At Amazon it is the Fire TV Stick, at Google it is the Chromecast. Both give users the choice between a cheaper HD variant and a stick that delivers 4K. Voice control for TV streaming with Amazon works via the supplied remote control, with Chromecast it can be paired with the Google health home speaker. The biggest difference between the sticks is that a second player is required to stream with Chromecast. The content can be transferred to the television via smartphone, tablet or PC. Some TVs from SONY, Philips or Toshiba have integrated this Chromecast function. The same applies to the Fire TV function, which can be found, for example, in special Grundig TVs.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K 

The Amazon streaming stick supports 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Vision, HDR, HDR10 + and Dolby Atmos

Streaming Media Player: Easily stream films, series and programs on the TV in up to 4K HD & HDR

Conclusion TV streaming: After inconsistencies in the past, the competitors are now integrating the third-party TV offers: Via the Fire TV stick from Amazon, users can visit the ehealth portal YouTube and the Google Chromecast allows access to the streaming service from Amazon Prime. This means that the streaming offers hardly differ from each other and the connection to conventional media libraries and services such as ZDF, Netflix or ProSieben offer both alternatives. This means that Amazon and Google are on the same level when it comes to TV streaming and a tendency only affects individual preferences, whether the smartphone or remote control is preferred for operation.

Amazon Alexa vs. Google Assistant – helpers in the smart health home

In addition to the entertainment function, intelligent loudspeakers such as Google health home and Amazon Echo are practical helpers in the smart health home. They make smart thermostats, intelligent sockets or smart lamps controllable by voice. Smart loudspeakers thus almost replace an intelligent gateway and can become the control center in the smart health home. Numerous devices can be added to the smart health home via the respective app, which makes no difference to Google or Amazon. Voice control via Alexa or the Google Assistant is now standard and many manufacturers offer both options. In the article on Alexa compatible devices, we give an overview of the possible uses in the smart health home. We have also created a selection of components that are voice-controllable with Google health home for our readers. For Google, however, there are only a fraction of compatible devices, such as for Alexa. The big brands are almost all compatible, but Alexa is clearly ahead of the game when it comes to lawn mowers, robot vacuum cleaners, fitness trackers, etc.

The popular lighting system around Philips Hue can be operated by voice with both Alexa and Google Assistant

(Signify) 

Conclusion compatible smart health home devices: Amazon Alexa has long been in the duel of most compatible devices, which is largely thanks to the earlier launch of the Echo. So far, Google has not been able to completely make up this lead.

Amazon Alexa vs. Google Assistant – who offers more data security

Many users fear data security for smart speakers. What happens to all the data that the voice assistants Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant collect over time? A legitimate question, because every voice command and every question is transcribed by the digital helpers and forwarded online to the respective Google or Amazon cloud for further evaluation or to search engines.

Google Assistant and Alexa are constantly learning: The data is in the cloud, but is not visible to other users. If you do not want your requests to improve functionality to be evaluated, you can restrict these functions on Google and Amazon using the app.

Privacy security: Similar to a browser history, the history of communication with the voice assistants can also be deleted, but this then limits the learning ability of the assistants. Here we reveal how the history can be deleted from Google health home and here users of an Amazon Echo read how the Alexa search history can be deleted. A voice command for this is, for example: "Alexa, delete what I just said" or "Alexa, delete everything I said today".

If you want to focus even more on security, you can manually switch off the microphone on the Google health home and the Amazon Echo speaker. Then the smart voice assistants really only listen when the microphones are manually switched on again.

Conclusion security: There is no way around it: The voice assistants Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa collect data in order to be able to improve continuously. Ultimately, everyone has to answer for themselves whether they are willing to disclose data about themselves, in return for a relief in everyday life.

Overall conclusion: Amazon Alexa vs. Google Assistant

Both systems keep their promise and offer a lot of entertainment and everyday relief through applications in the entertainment and smart health home sector. No matter which language assistant you choose, you will not be disappointed.

In comparison between Google Assistant and Alexa, voice control via Alexa wins on the basis of many selectable skills

(E HEALTH / health home & smart) 

Speech recognition is very good in both system worlds and is supported by third parties. Google benefits from the integration of its own search engine, which is why the Google Assistant clearly shows its strengths over Alexa when answering questions. For this, Alexa still benefits from the earlier market launch, and so the number of skills and possible uses by Google has so far not been obtainable. However, compatibility for smart devices is similar between Alexa and Google Assistant. Manufacturers seem to recognize the trend here and usually offer voice control with both alternatives.

In a direct comparison between Alexa and Google Assistant and in our voice assistant Review, Alexa therefore takes first place and the possible uses with an Amazon Echo speaker. On the one hand, this is due to the great compatibility options in the smart health home and is particularly recommended for users who are already Amazon Prime customers.

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AB SMART HEALTH health home & BUILDING REVIEW