A Smart Home hub is an incredible addition to your home. It can do numerous smart things you never expected before the invention of these amazing devices. However, choosing the best one is a difficult choice. There may be several reasons why you would go for Amazon Echo rather than Google Nest or Smartthings over the Apple home kit. So, In order to choose the wisestsmart home system for yourself, Read down the lines and find which smart home technology suits you the best.

1.     Google Home

Google Home now called Google Nest is Google’s smart home system. This smart speaker was designed to compete with Amazon’s Echo and has now reached the height of popularity among most smart home users. Google home is primarily used to support Google Assistant i.e. Google’s Voice Virtual helper.

How does Google Home assist you?

The Google Home can perform various amazing functions. It keeps on listening to the conversations and responds to specific commands. Certain wake words like ‘’Hey Google’’ or ‘’OK Google’’ are programmed in the Google Home so when it listens to those words, it wakes up and performs several functions. For instance, it is always ready to search the web for you, set an alarm, making purchases, or play the music you want to listen to.

Google Voice Assistant

Isn’t amazing that Google assistant can recognize six different voices. So, now it is not only you who can talk to your Google home but all your family members can also do so. Moreover, the Google Assistant can also answer you in different voices depending upon who is talking. It also gives customize answers for different questions. Each family member has the option to create the profile and get Google’s response in the voice they want.

The microphone stays active for 8 minutes so you don’t always have to say the wake words in order to get it started. Moreover, you can also skip saying the wake word when the alarm is buzzing or singing. Just say ‘’stop’’ and the alarm will stop.

All in all, Google Voice Assistant can perform various tasks for you but it is also significant to understand the risk associated with it. It is very easy to ditch the voice recognition system so you must be careful while using the system.

Make Calls

Make calls from your Google Home speakers and enjoy hands-free calls anytime. However, you can only make calls using Google home speakers and not from any third-party speakers.

Broadcasting

Give a message to your google home speaker and it will broadcast the message to your entire home via various connected speakers. It is a great feature if you want to give messages or make announcements to your family members sitting in the other room.

Set Routine

This is an amazing function of the Google Home. Just make command and it will perform various functions in different ways. Like if you say ”Good Morning’, it can play the news for you.

Make lists on it

You can make a gift list, wish list, to-do list, shopping list, and numerous other lists with your smart home just by using your voice. So, it’s a great way to utilize your time even if you are feeling tired.

Read Stories

The smart home can tell different tales from Nickelodeon and Disney. You can also read out the story and it will create appropriate sound effects.

Tell Recipes

Google Home can help you in cooking as well. It can tell you step-by-step recipes while you are cooking. You can play, pause and forward the recipe whenever you wish just by giving a respective command.

Compatible Devices

There is a long list of compatiblesmart home devices that support Google home. There are cars, thermostats, night lights and LEDs, alarms, security systems, Cameras, switches and plugs, Hubs and smart locks, etc. that support Google home. There are large electronic appliances too like the smart electric Oven and Air conditioner etc.

2.     Apple HomeKit

Apple HomeKit is another smart home platform that can do smart things for users. The system is developed by Apple and is widely popular among Apple users. The system allows you to control all your compatible smart home devices. Whether you have a compatible thermostat, lights and switches, locks, and other equipment, Apple HomeKit can control them all.

The system is great for beginners though it does not have the compatibility with as many devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home have.

What can Apple HomeKit do for you?

The Apple HomeKIt can control all iOs devices at your home as well as other smart devices too. All those devices that come labeled as ”work with Apple HomeKit’’ can work with HomeKit. Setting up the system and smartphone app is extremely simple and even the beginner can do it. So, it a great platform for novice smart home users.

Just download the app and here the world is in your control. The most incredible feature of Apple HomeKit is that you don’t need to get a hub to use the app. Your iPhone is the ultimate remote control you need to use in order to operate the compatible devices when you are home. However, if you are not home then you may need an iPad, an Apple TV, or the HomePod to get started.

When you set up the HomeKit in your home, Siri is the virtual assistant. It knows what are the connected devices and can control them efficiently. Like, it can turn on or switch off lights, increase or decrease the temperature and set scenes. Here are some functions, it can perform for you. 

Create Scenes

You can create scenes with your Apple HomeKit platform. For example a ”Good night” or ”Good Morning scene”. The above function will turn on or off the lights for you, lock or unlock the doors, and lowers or increase the thermostats as programmed. The scenes are very easy to set up. Numerous compatible devices or ”work with Apple HomeKit’’ devices are available which work with your setup efficiently.

Compatible Devices

There is a number of HomeKitsmart home gadgets like thermostats, lights, switches, locks, cameras, doorbells, speakers, fans, routers, fans, and TVs, etc. If you want to buy one, Apple keeps the comprehensive list of HomeKit compatible devices on its website so it is the best place to search for the compatible product you newwant to buy.

Why is HomeKit not the best choice?

The reason why the Apple HomeKit fails when competing with the giants like Google Home and Amazon Echo is the unavailability of the speakers at a competitive price. Apple has produced comparable products in terms of specs so far but they are available at high prices so the case does not go in Apple’s favor.

3.     Amazon Alexa

Amazon Alexa is one of the pioneers of the Smart Home industry that has raised the bars for the other brands. It has given real competition to the existing as well as the new entrants in the market.

It is Amazon’s cloud-based service which is supported by thousands and millions of products in the world right now. The compatible devices are not only made by Amazon but the third parties as well. This voice assistant offers a great way to interact with smart home devices. The best thing about Amazon’s Alexa is that it is active everywhere you get internet access and you can take its help just by saying something. It can take your home experience to the next level because you can control and everything at your home just by your voice.

How does Alexa assist you?

Alexa can assist you in many ways. It is a very intelligent smart home platform that is simple as well as fun. You can perform several functions from purchasing to setting alarms and playing music giving you a far more enjoyable and convenient home time.

Set alarms and timers

Set an alarm, timer, or reminder just by giving a command, and here you go. Keep yourself more organized and productive than ever with the cool Alexa smart home system. It can wake you up at the specified time, manage your calendar, set reminder for the birthday surprise, schedule a meeting, or reply to the email making your life more easy and more fun.

Make shopping list

Make a shopping list, wish list, or a to-do list with the help of Alexa and save your time for your family and other important chores. The list will remain on your smartphone and you can access it whenever you need it.

Listen to Music

Play music from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, and other streaming services. You can also listen to the podcast and live radio through Alexa.

Listen to the News

Keep yourself updated by listening to the news anytime you want. You can listen to the news from any channel or service provider with the help of Alexa.

Have fun

Have fun with Alexa by playing a joke, a game, or music. 

Allows voice or video calling

Alexa allows you to make a voice call or a video call anywhere and anytime. You can also use Alexa to broadcast the announcement in your home if the dinner is ready or you want to remind your kids about something.

Set Routines

You can set routines from Alexa. It is actually a shortcut to get the bunch of activities performed just in one command or at a specific event or time of day. Like if you say ‘’Alex, Start my day’’. Alexa will switch on the lights, play news or weather forecast of the day.

Care Hub 

It is a unique feature offered by Alexa where you can keep yourself informed and watch over your loved ones. It also notifies you when your family needs any help.

Information

Alexa is very informative and intelligent. It answers all your queries and keeps you informed about anything you ask. Whether it’s a weather update, news, a language translation, or a piece of general knowledge, Alexa will answer everything.

Compatible Device

There are millions of compatible devices and third-party devices which support Alexa. Some devices have Alexa Built-in while some are ”work with Alexa”.

4.     Samsung SmartThings

Samsung SmartThings is another smart home platform that is widely popular among users. Through Samsung SmartThings, you can wirelessly connect various Samsung SmartThings compatible devices and perform a number of activities using your voice. What you have to do is to add Samsung home appliances which you can access through the application. Just connect a Samsung SmartThing hub to your Wi-Fi network and control whatever you want.

What Samsung SmartThings can do for you?

Here are few functions SmartThing features and convert your home into a smart home.

Voice Assistance

Samsung SmartThings is compatible with Google Voice Assistant and Amazon Alexa so you can control your home using Amazon Echo speakers or Google Nest Hub.

Create Scenes

Creating scenes means triggering a bunch of activities. It saves your time and allows you to trigger the action just by giving one command or at a specific event.

SmartThing Find

SmartThing find is a unique feature through which you can find your Samsung accessories wherever they are. However, this service is exclusive to Samsung users.

Automation

You can set the automated events with the help of Samsung SmartThings i.e the If and Then controls. 

Why Samsung SmartThing is not as successful as Google Home or Alexa?

There are many reasons why Samsung SmartThings is inferior to the giants like Google Nest or Alexa like the number of compatible devices, number of features, and Samsung’s inability to automate various events.

Final Words

Amazon and Google steal the competition when they join hands with numerous brands and celebrities for their voices. However, we cannot decide the HomeKit’s fate just on the basis of the voice assistant because home intelligence has a lot to do with other features and aspects as well.  Currently, all the contenders lack some features or have techy issues so the clear winner cannot be announced. However, you can decide to buy the one which suits your needs the best.

Let us know about your experience in the comments section below and also share your criticism and reviews about different Smart Home platforms for our next editorial.