With more than half the population owning a smart speaker as of 2020, the speech first technology is on a roll towards its zenith. But with hundreds of smart speakers in the market, it’s often hard to choose the right one that suits your needs. While heading over to an online shopping site and setting numerous filters to find the perfect speaker might not be a very efficient idea, we’ve moulded below the features and specifications of some of the best smart speakers on the shop’s shelf right now. Here’s our take on them, and why they’re worth investing upon.
Sonos One
What if you were given the offer to not only own a smart speaker to tackle your day hands-free, but also a speaker that enriches your surroundings with supreme high-quality audio? Topping our list of the best smart speakers would be Sonos One.
Here’s why.
Why is it one of the best?
It possesses Two-Class D digital amplifiers that add to its excellent sound quality, equipped with a far-field microphone array, that ensures smart voice capture and noise cancellation. It has Amazon’s Alexa already built into it but is planning to roll out features to support Google Assistant as well; making it a multi-assistant device.
Why should you consider buying it?
It is one of the best when it comes to syncing your accounts, combining your music libraries, and even playing a bit tricky song that normal smart speakers might struggle to identify! It also has a room tuning feature thanks to Trueplay, which can help you tune it by waving your iOS device up and down while you are roaming around in your house!
Amazon Alexa
Amazon’s Alexa Voice Service that lives in the cloud, is what imparts intelligence and interactive capabilities to this smart speaker. You can also change the wake word into any other name of your choice. To keep your speaker’s name something close to your heart or maybe something funny to get you in ripples of laughter every time you call out to it makes it all the more fun.
Why is it one of the best?
Besides being a smart speaker and playing music, it can also tackle your day with the help of smart home automation. It is like having a virtual assistant living in your house, at your service 24/7. When you program it appropriately with the Routine app or If This Then That, you can make it schedule calls, make to-do lists, put your kettle to boil and even switch the lights on every time you walk through the door of your house and say “Alexa, I’m home.” ( or any other wake phrase according to your choice, for that matter.)
Why should you consider buying it?
She is the technological incarnation of a super-smart butler who is intelligent enough to foretell the weather, but also efficient enough to turn the lights off in your kitchen if you’ve forgotten and are asleep. Why wouldn’t you want to have such smart help with no daily wages to pay anyway?
Google Assistant
Google assistant literally does all of your work- it can open apps with your voice command, tackle smart home automation, and even translate foreign languages into your own! The quick-witted assistant’s astute enough to even find your lost phone. Here is our deck of reasons as to why it’s one of the best.
Why should you consider buying it?
You won’t have to urge your mom or your partner anymore to find you your phone that is suffocating under your bed or the keys behind a bookshelf. And most important of all, you’ll never be bored. Apart from holding a quick chit-chat session with your Google Assistant, you can also play a deck of cards or solitaire with it, and get your grey cells tested as it goes on to cracking awful yet pun-intended jokes! With lives getting hectic and people growing busier, give this smart assistant a chance to be your all-time companion. You’ll not be disappointed.
What makes it one of the best out of the lot?
Apart from performing the various tasks that all basic smart speakers can do, this one does a lot more. From getting you started on your day with a song instead of an annoying alarm to helping you Netflix and chill hands-free, this speech recognition device is all you need. It can read you the news while you sip on your coffee in the morning, and even find you your keys!
That’s right, Google has partnered with Tile to make your morning chores a lot easier. When you are rushing to work and can’t find your keys, just say “Hey Google, find my keys.” and voila, you’ll have it in your hand. Don’t forget to attach the Tile tracker to your keys though!
Apple HomePod
Apple decided to launch its breakthrough speaker offering a tough battle to Alexa, Sonos, and Google Assistant with its HomePod. This smart speaker solely focuses on giving you the best musical experience like never before.
What makes it one of the best?
Apple has laboriously focused on the audio quality of this Siri integrated smart speaker. Equipped with about 7 tweeter arrays, with each tweeter outfitted with a driver of its own and an upward-facing woofer this speaker is bound to deliver contortion free audio even at high decibels. It can read you the news, find your iPhone, set up a meeting, answer your messages, and do all tasks of such sorts. As Apple values privacy, all conversations between you and Siri would be anonymous and encrypted.
Why should you consider buying it?
HomePod can also serve you as a HomeKit hub when connected with HomeKit devices. It can control all sorts of errands such as tackling all the Home-Kit connected smart devices with just a few Siri commands. If you are loyal to iOS, you should definitely consider going for this one. Being an iOS user only provides you the advantage of enjoying all its perks at their fullest!
Harman Kardon Invoke
Microsoft’s Cortana integrated smart speaker manufactured by one of the most ethical brands, Harman Kardon, Invoke is a supreme example of the amalgamation of premium sound quality and efficient task-establishing capability.
Why is it one of the best?
Invoke is equipped with a ‘touch to surprise’ feature panel at the top of the speaker, the signature Cortana wave light, and automatic buttons. It is attired with Harman’s Sonique far-field speech recognition technology that allows this speaker to listen to you speak and recognize it even if you are yelling from a room afar in your party-packed house. It uses Harman’s beam formation, echo, and noise cancellation to help Cortana figure out your speech perfectly in a clamorous environment as well.
Why should you consider buying it?
The coalescence of Invoke with Cortana provides you with an exceptional experience of the wonders that voice-first technology can create. From playing your music to managing your calendars, checking the traffic, and so forth, it has also integrated Skype into it, which can help you make calls to cellphones, landlines, and other Skype integrated devices. It’s the first among all other smart-speakers to introduce Skype integration. With it’s sleek, unique design and outstanding features, it’s simply hard to say no to.
With the world moving forward into a generation of ‘hands-free everything,’ don’t stay behind. It’s never too late to invest in a smart speaker. Treat yourself with a wonderful virtual-assistant experience and let it make your life clutter-free. You can never go wrong with these!
