Google Home Digital Assistant Review
With voice control being the latest craze, Google has entered the market. Google Home consists of a voice-activated speaker powered by the Google Assistant. It is very similar in function to its competition from Amazon, The Echo and the Echo Dot which are powered by Amazon Alexa. ISP1 reviewed the Echo Dot, Alexa and integration with home automation devices here.
Google Home Features
- Enjoy Your Music:
With a simple voice command, play tunes from services like YouTube Music and Google Play Music. Enjoy even more compatible audio services by streaming directly from your phone to Google Home. - Get Answers From Google:
Get answers to things you want to know including the latest on weather, traffic, finance, sports, and more. Plus, get information to help you do things in your world. Ask “What is the nearest pharmacy” and follow it up with “When does it close”. - Manage Everyday Tasks:
With your permission, Google Home can help you with things like your commute, flight information, and more. Plus it’s a whiz at setting alarms, starting timers, and adding items to your shopping list. - Control Compatible Smart Devices:
Simply ask Google Home to stream videos to your TV with Chromecast or to turn up your Nest thermostat. - Get Superior Sound & Voice Technology:
Google Home’s high excursion speaker delivers HiFi sound quality. It can also hear you reliably thanks to far-field microphones.
Promotional Video From Google
Google Home vs Amazon Echo Pricing
Google Home Speaker
At around $130, Google home is priced well above Amazon’s $50 Echo Dot.
However, Google Home with its integrated high-excursion speaker is more comparable to the $180 Amazon Echo with dual downward-firing speakers which produce much better sound than the Echo Dot. All three devices have multiple far-field microphones which do an excellent job of picking up voice commands even with a moderate level of ambient noise.
Amazon’s smart speaker products have been in the market longer and thus have more compatibility with smart home automation devices. Google home is better at answering questions due to the vast Google search network.
Google Home Common Problems
Other than the recently fixed Fake News problem where the home was giving some answers from dubious sources, several common problems have been reported with the home smart speaker. Fortunately most common problems have easy solutions. Here is a good blog post from joyofandroid.com on how to fix common problems with Google Home which addresses some common issues with the product and provides simple solutions to resolve the issues.
Google Home Easter Eggs
Here are a few Easter eggs and other cool responses.
- OK Google I’m feeling lucky
- OK Google Beatbox
- OK Google Tell me a joke
- OK Google Bark like a dog
- OK Google Sing a song
- OK Google Surprise me
- OK Google Sing me Happy Birthday
- OK Google Read a poem
- OK Google Do you speak Morse code?
- OK Google What am I thinking right now?
There are many more, this is just a sampling.
Product Specifications
Supported Audio Formats:
HE-AAC, LC-AAC+, MP3, Vorbis, WAV (LPCM), FLAC with support for high-resolution streams
Wireless:
802.11ac (2.4GHz/5Ghz) Wi-Fi for high-performance streaming
Speaker:
High excursion speaker with 2″ driver + dual 2″ passive radiators
Far-field voice recognition supports hands-free use
Power:
Required 16.5V, 2A included
Ports & Connectors:
DC power jack
Micro-USB port (for service only)
Supported Operating Systems:
Android 4.1 and higher
iOS 8.0 and higher
Mac OS X 10.9 and higher
Windows 7 and higher
Google Home App
The app is used to set up, manage, and control your Google Home device(s).
The Google Home App is available for Android and Apple devices
Google Home Links
Recent Google Posts
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