Christmas promises to be a battlefield in which smart speakers are going to be one of the captains. If few ingredients were missing for the fever for this type of technological products to explode definitively, Amazon arrived with its Echo model and Apple with its HomePod to complete the poker of star speakers that can be purchased in Spain along with those of Google and Movistar, which It has its own model too.
Google Home, Apple HomePod and Amazon Echo are three giants that are going to share almost the entire block of this new technological toy, which will probably be one of the star gifts this winter. And it is not for less, because smart speakers, and all in Spanish, adapted to our market, are much more than what their name says about them. Perhaps because we have a simple definition of what loudspeaker means in our heads, but the truth is that it is time to modify it because this revolution for the home is here to stay.
The landing of Amazon Echo
Amazon Echo was announced months ago, but it was not until a few days ago when it was put up for sale in Spain. It does so with five different models that seek to occupy the different price ranges that can also attack different types of public, so it seems like a commitment to attack the largest possible target for Amazon. The cheapest costs 59.99 euros and the most expensive is for 149, although the classic, the one that does not have a second surname, the Amazon Echo to dry, costs 99.99 euros. The arrival of the five versions was awaited with enormous expectation among critics and followers of technology in Spain because they have positioned themselves brilliantly in other countries where, there, yes, they were marketed before those of Google. Here you can read the details that differentiate each of the five versions.
The difference is that Spain represents a challenge for Amazon because until now it has distinguished itself as a power in English-speaking countries, where Alexa, its personal assistant integrated into the speakers, is the best valued, but we do not know if its product will manage to attract the same level of sales now that it is adapted to Spanish even in the accent of the voice. Google took the lead by being the first major company to sell them in our territory, but we do not believe that the delay of their competition can give them any advantage, because this type of product has not yet gone viral among the average user, something that will probably change in very few months.
Apple enters the fray with Home Pod
As if that were not enough, the battle that Amazon presents to Google, as if it were an epic chapter of ‘Game of Thrones’, Apple arrives to challenge both with its HomePod, a concept a little different from the others, as it could not be otherwise considering the trajectory of Apple. Its great virtue is the quality of the sound, which is why some experts speak of it as the speaker to be heard and not so much to give orders. Of course, the apple company has worked on adapting Siri to Spanish to be competitive, something basic taking into account that its price is higher -also how could it be otherwise-, 349 euros.
In principle, the functions that one and the other undertake, including Movistar Home, which will arrive in time for the Christmas campaign for a cheap price of 79 euros, in what will be the litmus test of its personal assistant Aura, are similar, although It is true that the level of intelligence of each one differs according to the experts. Artificial intelligence is the key in this type of product, not just the virtual assistant of each one, and the technology used in each case also varies. For this reason, it is important to make sure of what you need and require for your home, since one cannot be recommended over the other.
They all have their strengths and weaknesses, both from a technical and economic point of view. What there is no doubt about is that we have to get familiar with smart speakers because they are the present of the home, and not just the near future.
It is a matter of time before we fall into the networks of one of them. A priori, you may think that you don’t need it, but when you see the particularities of one of these toys at the home of someone you know, you will change your mind. So take advantage of the fact that the Three Wise Men are warming up and save a blank line to write the name you choose for your home after taking your time to compare them.
