The sci-fi vision of a connected home is quickly becoming a reality: both Amazon and Google have launched smart assistants, with an Apple offering based on Siri announced at WWDC 2017.
These products are designed to act as standalone hubs for your digital life. Voice activation systems allow users to ask questions, perform tasks control their IoT appliances, without even having to touch their phones.
We look at how the three major smart assistant products compare to each other, based on the information we’ve currently got. We'll be updating this article as and when we know more so please stay tuned...
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20/11/2017: The launch of Apple's eagerly awaited HomePod smart speaker has been pushed back from December to early 2018, as it "needs a little more time" to be developed.
The HomePod, which initially appeared at Apple's WWDC event in June, was slated for release in time for the Christmas shopping surge, placing it in a great position to take on the likes of Amazon's Echo and Google's Home smart speakers. However, that has now changed, with the device perhaps proving more complex to produce than initially thought, though Apple hasn't given a specific reason.
"We can't wait for people to experience HomePod, Apple's breakthrough wireless speaker for the home, but we need a little more time before it's ready for our customers," an Apple spokesperson said, speaking to
CNET. "We'll start shipping in the US, UK and Australia in early 2018."
At £349, the HomePod promises to be able to deliver Siri-enabled features using some groundbreaking audio hardware, although the specific IoT functions have been kept hidden so far.
Apple needs to have something compelling to show when it releases the device early next year, as its steep asking price risks pushing customers towards the more attractive price points of its rivals, which offer similar features at almost half the cost.
What we do know is that one of its biggest selling points will come from the HomePod's 'Spatial Awareness' feature, a technology that allows the device to automatically detect the space around it, adjusting the audio to best match its surroundings. It also supports Apple Music and will be able to access your library and recommend content based on your history.
06/11/2017: The BBC has
announced an interactive audio drama pilot set to be released on voice devices.
Henry Cooke, a producer part of the BBC's R&D team, wrote that the company has teamed up with Rosina Sound to create audio for the story.
Cooke wrote: "The project took shape collaboratively between R&D and Rosina Sound - together, we listened to existing interactive audio stories and, taking inspiration from computer games like The Stanley Parable and Papa Sangre and authors like Franz Kafka and Douglas Adams, the piece evolved into a comedy science fiction audio drama."
He also added that in the pilot users will be able to play an active part in the story with their voice, to make it feel like they are having a direct interaction with the characters.
Cooke said: "We haven't come across any other interactive stories like this on voice devices, and we're excited to see how people respond to it."
The BBC has built a "story engine" which allows them to release the same story across different voice devices. For now, it will be released on the Amazon Alexa and Google Home but Cooke wrote it may make its way across to Microsoft & Harman/Kardon's Invoke speaker, or Apple's HomePod and other devices as they come along.
The pilot is scheduled to be released on BBC Taster before the end of the year.
12/10/2017: Google disables snooping feature in Home Mini
The Google Home Mini’s top touch function is now disabled as it was found listening and recording users unknowingly.
The "top touch" tool lets users interact with Google Assistant by pressing on the top of the Home Mini, rather than using voice controls. The Home Mini hasn't yet been released, but is already in the hands of reviewers and Google's own employee testers.
While testing the device,
Android Police reviewer Artem Russakovskii discovered that his held thousands of unintended recordings. Russakovskii reported that his Home Mini would repeatedly light up and Google Assistant would speak without any activation or instruction.
Within 24 hours of the issue being brought to Google’s attention, a software update had been issued. Google also created a support page and removed any top touch initiated interactions with the device between October 4 and October 7.
Google also deleted any activities initiated through the top touch feature in My Activity, where all Google Assistant interactions are stored.
A Google spokesperson, as reported by
VentureBeat, stated that: “Although we only received a few reports of
this issue, we want people to have complete peace of mind while using the Google Home Mini. We have made the decision to permanently remove all top touch functionality on the Google Home Mini. As before, the best way to control and activate the Google Home Mini is through voice, by saying ‘Ok Google’ or ‘Hey Google,’ which is already how most people engage with our Google Home products.”
The device, which made its first appearance at the Google event earlier this month, will go on sale October 18 for $49.
12/10/2017: Alexa updated to recognise the voices of individual users
Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant can now recognise individual users, thanks to an update. This brings it in line with Google Home, which has had the same feature since April this year.
This means that Alexa can personalise its response, giving other members within a home access to their own playlists, calendars, shopping lists, among other things. Voice profiles currently support the following Alexa features: calling/messaging, flash briefing, shopping, and the Amazon Music Unlimited Family Plan.
This feature will be handy for anyone using Amazon Echo’s new calling facility as this will help Alexa phone only a particular user’s contacts when that person uses the feature.
In order to use the new feature, a user has to create a voice profile, either on the Echo, Echo Dot, or Echo Show. Setting up a profile invoices a user reading out ten sample phrases, after which, the training is complete. Voice Profiles can also be set up via the Alexa app on a smartphone.
Voice Profiles will roll out to other features in Alexa soon. The feature is available on any Echo product from now and should get smarter over time as it is used more. However, Amazon said that touch-to-talk devices, such as Amazon Tap and the Fire TV remote, will not support voice profiles.
03/10/2017: Home Mini appears on California resident's Google app
Google's alleged Amazon Echo Dot rival has appeared on a Google Home app belonging to someone living nearby the Google campus in California.
New evidence of Google's new Home smart speaker, the Google Home Mini, has emerged just days before the Google event where it's likely to be announced. According to
Android Police, a device named "GoogleHome2787" appeared on the Google Home app of Raymond Durk, who lives mere blocks away from the Mountain View Google campus.
The name was accompanied by a picture of a pebble shaped device, that is identical to the early images leaked by Droid Life in August. Because any new Home or Chromecast device appears on the Google Home app until it is connected to WiFi, it seems that an employee of Google who lives near Durk has received the device but has yet to set it up completely.
Alongside the Home Mini, it's rumoured that Google will announce another addition to the Google Home family, the Home Max. This larger device, supposedly having a more premium design and better hardware, will compete with Apple's Homepod, although no specific details of it have been revealed.
The Google Home Mini, aimed at those who want the access to Google's assistant without the giant speaker, is rumoured to cost $49 when it goes on sale.
29/09/2017: Google could be creating a smart screen device to compete with the Amazon Echo Show.
The device can be used for video calling and help bolster Google's presence in the AI smart home market, as reported by
TechCrunch.
Sources have told the publication that the device has been codenamed "Manhattan" and will possess a similar screen to the Echo Show. It will offer Google Assistant, Google Photos, YouTube and video calling and can act as a smart hub to control smart home devices.
TechCrunch was told that the device launch was set for mid-2018 but thanks to the Echo Show there is pressure on Google to get it launched by 2017. It may still launch in 2018 as the tech giant seeks to establish smart hub partnerships and service partnerships too.
The device is set to run Android, opening it up to developers who want to build apps. There's currently no price for the device or images of what it will look like.
IT Pro has contacted Google for comment.
Google pulled YouTube from the Echo Show this week which means users can no longer access it on their devices to watch cooking shows or music videos. Google said Amazon's use of YouTube on the Echo Show violated its terms of service which is why it was pulled.
27/09/2017: Google removes YouTube from Amazon Echo Show
Google has pulled YouTube from the Echo Show, meaning that users can no longer access the service.
If a user asks the device to play a video on Youtube, Alexa replies: "Currently, Google is not supporting Youtube on Echo Show", according to
The Verge.
An Amazon spokesperson told the publication: "Google made a change today at around 3pm. YouTube used to be available to our shared customers on Echo Show. As of this afternoon, Google has chosen to no longer make YouTube available on Echo Show, without explanation and without notification to customers. There is no technical reason for that decision, which is disappointing and hurts both of our customers."
Google told IT Pro: "We've been in negotiations with Amazon for a long time, working towards an agreement that provides great experiences for customers on both platforms. Amazon's implementation of YouTube on the Echo Show violates our terms of service, creating a broken user experience. We hope to be able to reach an agreement and resolve these issues soon."
IT Pro has contacted Amazon for comment.
Earlier this month, it emerged that Amazon may be working on its own set of smart glasses. The device would allow users to talk to their Alexa system at any time, wherever they are. The glasses would connect to a user's smartphone and would be designed to be lightweight. User's would be able to listen to Alexa without using headphones through a "bone-conduction audio system" too.
Operating system
The Amazon Echo is powered by Alexa, an AI core built on AWS' cloud infrastructure. It’s essentially a voice-operated digital assistant, but thanks to machine learning algorithms, it’s designed to get smarter the more you use it, adapting to your vocabulary, speech patterns, and usage habits.
Google Now has been part of the company’s ecosystem for a while now, but it’s now been upgraded to become the Google assistant. Like Google Now, it works across the whole Google portfolio, including Android, ChromeOS and the new Google Home. It’s designed to respond in a natural, conversational manner to voice queries, and is also powered by cloud-based AI technology.
Apple was the first major company to introduce a digital assistant into its devices, with the launch of Siri. iPhone users can interact with their apps through Siri, and as of recent software upgrades, can also use Siri voice commands to control their Apple TV. This is what underpins Apple’s HomePod, allowing users to ask questions, control music playback and interact with HomeKit devices.
At the moment, the Google Assistant is the most useful of the current crop, with a wide range of commands, tasks and integrations with various services. It also understands context, meaning you can string consecutive requests together. However, it loses points for its speech engine, which doesn't sound quite as smooth and fluid as Alexa.
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