What I like the most and the least about my Amazon Echo, Google Home and HomePod

2018 was the year of the landing of the smart speakers in our country: HomePod, Google Home and Google Home Mini and the Echo family, which already has 5 members: Echo Dot, Echo, Echo Plus, Echo Spot and Echo Show.

During this period, the general public had the time to test them and know what to expect from them, but also Xataka team and other technology means have drawn their conclusions. We spoke with them to tell us after their experience of using, what is more and what they like the least from Google Home, Amazon Echo and HomePod.

Cesar Muela

Journalist and musician by training, César Muela is the chief editor at Engadget. It has an Amazon Echo since June of last year – before it went on sale – and from a Google Home Mini since mid-December:

"What I like most about Echo:

The natural voice of Alexa. I find it much less robotic than Google. I think they've taken better care of this and this encourages you to use it more. Thanks to the experience of people who surround me, you have more confidence in Alexa than in Google because of the familiarity and naturalness of the voice. As they are more sympathetic to Alexa.

Whenever he has more services and adds more things. Here, Amazon does it very well because it sends you a mail periodically to inform you of new features. Since I've had a lot of things included (here skills are their great asset) and I've noticed a clear evolution both when it comes to understanding yourself and when you offer better results.

The quality of the audio For the size that he has, it sounds pretty good. For me, it's crucial to listen to music in the living room (where I also have the Google Home Mini system). In fact, I use Alexa to listen to music, radio or podcasts, basically.

What I like the least about Echo is that it does not have the excellent Google database. If Google does not know how to respond to something, extract the search results. If this happens with Alexa, it tells you that it can not help you and that it is a bit frustrating for that. I do not like their incompatibilities either: I can not ask Alexa to put a series on Netflix on my TV. With Google Home Mini, I can do it.

What I like most about Google Home Mini:

C & # 39; its ecosystem. Being connected to my Google Account and being able to put my cell phone at one end of the house and being able to answer by the speaker from the other side is a definite plus for me. In addition, through the use of many Google services, the assistant can take advantage of many other synergies and I think that they will eventually arrive in the future (for example, a case that I'm not sure of). Imagine, it is that you proactively inform yourself when you have to leave your home to go to work, because there is a metro strike).

I also like its price. For the official 50 euros (much less in practice if you have a good offer), I think the value that it offers is fully compensated Even if you use it just to ask him the time that he will do today.

What I like least about the Google Home Mini, it's the robotic voice of Google. It improves little by little, but it remains very robotic and unnatural. Moreover, its audio quality is very improvable. Even the Amazon Echo Dot, equivalent to the Google Home Mini, sounds a little better, especially in severe cases where the Google device is left behind. "

Arantxa Herranz

Arantxa Herranz is an independent technology journalist and an Xataka collaborator. He has more than two decades in the technology sector. They gave him the Google Home (149 euros) when it was marketed on the Spanish market.

"What I like the most is that you do not have to type, it is faster to search with the voice. Of course, the results are not optimized and do not always match what you are looking for.

Smart speakers have brought with them a sudden change in the habits of the user. Previously we used these Indian style expressions "cheap restaurant in Madrid" and now it is "tell me where I can book in a cheap restaurant in Madrid". And in the future, it will be even better, type "Resérvame at eight in the Pepito restaurant for four" and will do it alone.

What I like least is that, like everything about home automation and the management of multiple devices at home, it's because they sell it to you as very easy and it ends up being tedious to configure.

Nothing works at first. And many times, you do not even know why. And if you lose your Internet connection, you often have to reconfigure everything. Put passwords you can not remember which is for which application … "

Julio César Fernández

Julio César Fernández is a versatile man. Fernández is also an audiovisual engineer, broadcaster, actor and actor. podcaster, For what Sound quality is an important factor for him.

As soon as Apple announced the HomePod (304 euros), it immediately understood that he wanted it when he learned that Apple would have a special impact on sound quality. He has had HomePod since before its launch in Spain because he entrusted it to his parents who went to New York.

"J & # 39; Love the sound quality that contributes, in fact, I did a technical X-ray of HomePod. The sound does not give you the impression that it is coming out of the speaker. The bass, well marked but without being exaggerated. Treble with a good presence, clear ways. The frequency distribution is excellent. I also love its integration with Apple's services and its ecosystem.

"I do not like occasionally asking for a specific song to a composer / artist in English (or another language), as well as a podcast that contains words in languages ​​other than English." ;Spanish, it's hell and he hears and puts what he wants.

For example, I ask for the soundtrack of the television series "The Orville" and I always get a record from another artist. It does not matter what he says. Even if I say "Put Bruce Broughton's Orville" by naming the composer, he adds something to it or says he can not find it. I have to tell him exactly the name "The Orville (TV Show Music: Season 1)". "

Enrique Perez

Enrique Pérez debuted in this house as the editor of Engadget Mobile and Engadget Android, although he is currently editor at Engadget. It has a Google Home Mini since the beginning of last year.

"Google's best product is its mobilitybecause it's such a small product that I can plug it in and unplug it at any time. This helps me to fix it on the desk but, for example, to put it in the kitchen if I want to listen to music while cooking.

Google's ecosystem needs to greatly improve the receipt of ordersbecause he can not maintain a fluid conversation. On the contrary, it is good to add tasks, notes or ask for specific orders. For me, most of my things are in Google's ecosystem. It's good for me to write specific things. "

Iván Linares

Iván Linares is editor-in-chief of El Androide Libre and collaborates with the newspaper El Español. Technology expert, he received a Google Home Mini for his birthday last summer and a normal Google Home won at MWC 2019, without ruling out the possibility of having an Amazon speaker in the near future.

"I did not buy either, but because I work more with Android, Home is the one with the highest performance, the biggest use I give to normal Google Home (my favorite). is the speaker of the music. I say: "play music"; and it starts with my Spotify list. When I work at home and I still have music, I find it very comfortable: I can put the song I want with my voice and even move forward or back by saying to Google Home "Next Song" or "Previous song". The future was this one.

What I like most is that I can interact with my house without having to use another device, but only with the voice. I do not end up being comfortable knowing that he listens to everything. Do not just detect the activation command (in theory).

The biggest difference between the two, apart from size, is the audio quality when listening to music. With the Home Mini, it's as if C-3PO was singing: the distortion is noticed and it's not made as a musical speaker. In general, Google Home is not a high fidelity speaker, but it does not make you want to tear your eardrums. It also captures much better audio, which has two aspects: it's cool because it's listening to you from the bathroom; reluctantly offers because he hears until the theft of a fly. "

María Llanos

María Llanos is a journalist specializing in the art of living and fashion. Trends are theirs and technology is no exception. Echo Spot and Google Home coexist at home.

"What I love most is to have a voice beat what I need without moving. Above all turn off and turn on the radio. I do a lot of radio zapping (I am addicted to morning news) and I change when there are commercials and I can repair myself while I dress without interrupting my change. Before I could not do it … I like it.

And come back from the car and when I get back, ask them to keep putting what I was listening to and that it interested me. And ask for the time of day in bed. Or change the wake up alarms of the bed at night without having to look for the clock or mobile phone. Like a curiosity, the radio fails more in Alexathere are chains that hang on. However, Google Home never fails.

What I like least is who have the voice of a woman and the voice of the applications Google Home scares me. It's masculine but very rare, it sounds like a joke.

And another thing that happens to me only Alexa: that sometimes, to say the same thing, to give the same order and to pronounce well, does not take care of the orders … one goes there sometimes, that fails without significance. Another thing I do not like is that there should be something that has technically enabled you. know that your private conversations are safe. Plus, I do not like that if I have a cell phone and Google Home nearby, the cell phone is turned on even though it 's about letting me know what' s going on. is the other

Álex Barredo

Álex Barredo is a technology journalist who writes in La Vanguardia newspaper and participates in Mixx.io and Lacking podcasts. For his work, he had the opportunity to try several models, although he has a HomePod, Google Home Mini and Echo Show.

"The best thing about HomePod is the quality of its microphones and speakers – without trying the Home Max or the high-end Sonos, it sounds incredibly superior. more than a smart speaker is a speaker connected and in this sense, it meets fully. Three hundred euros is a very high price, yes.

The show Echo (229.99 euros) from Amazon is amazing because the touch screen adds a lot of possibilities. You can put a series quickly while cooking instead of just podcasts, music or radio, which you also have. In the morning, I can request the summary of the news in video or audio. We have it in the kitchen because it seems like the ideal place, and sometimes we put something to eat while we dine.

The Google Home Mini system remained the same a machine telling stories at night for my daughters. You can not ask much more, in my mind it's a secondary speaker to have when you have another main speaker at home. "

Samuel Fernández

Samuel Fernández is a programmer and publisher for Engadget Mobile and Engadget Android. At the moment, he has a Google Home Mini, although he plans to buy a Google Home for his office:

"I like it because it solves things that I spent all my time searching by hand: actors' ages, movie data, data on famous and historical characters, etc. Also, I Recently started the process of domotizing my house and He became the center of lights and other stories. This is very useful.

What I like least is that it evolves very slowly and that there are things that already work in English but they did not just happen in Spanish.

But first and foremost, I use Google Suite with a personal email account and I have access to the "Family Mode" at the moment. So I can stay without using Spotify with my custom lists because this is not my email account that controls the home page. I hope that they will fix it soon. "

Miquel Corbi

Miquel Corbi (aka Minue), director of Directo al Paladar for 8 years, combines his work as managing editor of Coca-Cola's corporate website in Spain and Portugal with the collaboration between Engadget and Babies , among others. He bought Amazon Echo (99.99 euros) and Echo Spot on their release in Spain last fall.

"I mainly like the fact that you can use it without your hands, which you can not always have for free with a baby in the equation." I bought Echo Spot (129.99 euros) as a screen for an IP camera that I have in the baby's room and precisely this speaker what I like the most is its small screen because it gives extra functionality: you can see videos next to news, pictures, clock work, you can see your next meetings …

What I do not like, is that sometimes is very intuitive in the language, unnatural. For example, to sing a children's song, I have to ask him to sing "a children's song", if I say "for children" or "for babies", he gives me a random list of Spotify. And then, it is not very natural to often have to ask him to open a skill to interact with this skill.

Fernando Siles

Fernando Siles is a software developer and a collaborator of Engadget and Magnet. As soon as he saw an offer on Black Friday, he took the opportunity to buy the Echo Dot:

"What I like most is that it was very easy to configure, that every week has new features (And Amazon sends you a newsletter to inform you about the most remarkable and it sounds good for its price, in addition to the microphone that works very well and has a very good range.

What I like least is that it really has little real utility, that it has few connectivity options that really give it power (I connect it to Spotify, Amazon Music and some smart plugs when a radiator is connected and a bulb) and that the installation of skins since the application is a little tricky, a rather loose store compared to Google Play or Apple Store. "

Antonio Sabán

Antonio Sabán loves technology and understands how everything works. He is the coordinator of Genbeta, in addition to collaborating diligently with Xataka. Take a few months to test the Echo Plus (149.99 euros):

"From Amazon Echo Plus, what I like most is that because of its size, it sounds great, without crazy price, with good details in high and medium tones. Moreover, when it requires more power, I really appreciate that your output socket connects to two studio monitors that I have, which, without an Internet connection, needs a source providing the corresponding songs.

On Echo Plus, I ask to play music on Spotify, which instantly rings on the connected speakers. C & # 39; is to say, I use it as an echo input, something that is not available in most speakers of other brands.

What I like least is that their bass is not very secure, and it comes from more expensive alternatives like the HomePod or Sonos One is the lack very noticeable. However, it offers the best possible experience with Alexa and a lot of precision identifying with all of its microphones. To put another stick, I miss a real wireless speaker modethat is to say, he will have a battery. I think it is possible and that a great brand must take the plunge. "

Txema Rodríguez

Passionate about technology, Txema Rodríguez is the main coordinator and editor-in-chief of Genbeta Dev. Txema bought Google Home as soon as it was launched on the market:

"Since I own Google Home, what I like the most, it's the independence of the mobile when you go home. Being able to ask for the latest news, time and put music in a simple way: Spotify, podcasts or radio via TuneIn. What I did not think was useful at first, I do it without telling you how to turn on the lights with Philips smart bulbs, and most importantly, use it to remind me of things or to create a shopping list when I open the fridge explaining what it's missing

I ask a lot of things and curiosities, some of which are caught, but there is no day when I do not hear the typical slogan: "I do not know how to help you, even if my team is working on it". But I hope that someday I will be surprised.

What is most needed is an integration to make calls Call and reply from Google Home or send messages without having to always use the mobile. The next Google IO can advertise interesting things about Duplex with a wizard who will answer you or make reservations. That would be wonderful. I think the best potential would be to not have to use the cell phone at home and be a virtual assistant. "

Ruben Márquez

Rubén Márquez is a publisher at Vidaextra, he loves video games and technology. He bought Amazon Echo a few months ago to try the experiment:

"For me, the best thing about smart speakers is that they are good speakers first, or at least drinkable speakers that a person with a small audiophile can understand as useful … It's the most great use that I gave them to date and I have no complaint

The worst, on the other hand, that maybe the smart thing is very far from what they're really capable of doing. Learning the commands and everything will be fine, but despite this at the level of understanding and variables at the time of speaking, I find a system too corseted (at least in the case of Alexa).

And what do you think?

If you're also passionate about technology and you've thrown yourself into the world of smart speakers, you probably already know what you love most, let alone what you love most. If you wish, you can leave your experience in the comments.

You can keep up-to-date with the latest information about Xataka Selección, our Telegram channel or our profiles. Twitter, Facebook and Flipboard Magazine.

Note: Some of the links published here are affiliated. In spite of this, none of the above-mentioned articles were proposed either by the brands or by the stores, their introduction being a unique decision of the publishing team.