Best smart speaker of 2020: Buying Guide
The speaker smart, or intelligent speakers, are dominating the home automation market and are ready to join the millions of Italian homes.
These useful screen readers are the future of home automation, not only because they are able to control several appliances (like light bulbs Philips Hue or Food Processor), but also because thanks to smart plug can control any electrical device connected to the WiFi network a house -Fi.
From futuristic design and incredible functionality, smart speakers are useful in many different ways: Imagine turning off the lights of a room using only your voice, or use Google or Amazon Narrator quickly to peek outside of your home through a ip camera.
People without intelligent speakers, perhaps it is not yet able to appreciate the improvement of their lives: the speech is simple, those who try them never to return.
This guide will help you to choose among the many best smart speaker of 2020, a real smart Speaker buying guide compatible with Google Home (and their compatible devices), the Apple ecosystem (devices compatible with Siri) or Amazon and Alexa. If you are looking for a hand to buy one, then read on to find the one that best suits your habits and your ecosystem.
What is a smart speaker
One smart speaker is a device capable of reproducing audio that uses different types of connectivity to provide the user with additional functionalities. Intelligent speakers have special features that improve the quality of people’s lives, since they are controlled with your own voice and are compatible with many smart remote-controlled devices.
The original purpose of the smart speaker was to play audio from a library online or offline. With the introduction of Wi-Fi and the addition of the functionality of integrated voice assistants (Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant), these devices are now able to make a long series of operations that we will see in more detail below.
Compatible with Hub, Switch and intelligent sockets, products such as the Amazon Echo controlled by Alexa can control a real remote appliance.
You should not confuse the smart speaker with bluetooth speakers, since they may look similar but are in reality a profound differences.
Ranking of smart speaker updated 2020
This is the final ranking of the best smart speaker of 2020, released exclusively from Amazon and represents only the best-selling models:
Best intelligent speakers of 2020
1. Sonos One Generation 2
The best on the market smart speaker
The Sonos One is a speaker with an elegant design. The device is packed with features and the sound is really powerful and clean. He manages to give the best thanks to Alexa combination – Sonos, on the one hand the fabulous Amazon’s voice assistant, the other the intelligence of a multi room audio device. It is fully compatible with AirPlay 2, then the one Sonos is compatible with Siri and can mate with the Apple HomePod, diventanto so a versatile product and top-end.
The only drawback is the non-compatibility with the Google ecosystem, although the company is working to bring Google Assistant on this device. He should also accept the last voice assistant, then this product will be crowned the king of smart speakers.
Sonos One Generation 2 Smart Speaker Wi-Fi Speaker Intelligent, integrated with Alexa, AirPlay …
Read our review>
2. Apple Homepod
Excellent sound and fairly smart speaker
The highly anticipated Apple HomePod has finally arrived in Italy. Let’s start from a basic concept: If you own other Apple devices in the home, then this product might be for you; otherwise you should go to the next product.
The Apple HomePod works well only with Siri and the ecosystem Apple (and Apple Music).
Overall it is a device that can boast excellent sound quality and the initial configuration is a real breeze.
Update: Apple has just updated their smart speaker rolling out the ability to make calls directly dall’HomePod. much appreciated by the community features.
3. Amazon Echo (2 Generation)
Intelligent Speaker Amazon gets even smarter
If I were trying a smart speaker from good audio quality and affordable price, the Amazon Echo in its second generation is the product that’s right for you. Right now is the best choice you can do. The second generation has better sound quality than the Echo Dot – more and Amazon – and is less expensive than Echo Plus and Apple’s HomePod.
Obviously it can not replace the entire hi-fi system, but it is a great starting point for those who want to try living with intelligent worker and a really smart home.
Amazon has also improved the appearance of its intelligent speakers: the new fabric finishes are best suited to most homes horrendous than the previous version aluminum.
A super-recommended product. Read our review>
Echo Plus (2nd generation) – Hub for Smart House integrated and high-quality sound -…
4. Google Home
Great for owners of Chromecasts
The main advantage of Google Home is fully compatible with Youtube: is it possible to find and listen to virtually any existing audio track in the world.
It is a smart intelligent speaker, compatible with many smart devices from companies like Nest, Philips and SmartThings.
Check out our full review of Google Home.
5. Amazon Echo Plus (2 Generation)
Alexa can understand you and rule your house better than ever!
The Amazon Echo Plus is one of the best tower speakers currently in circulation and for this council to buy it right away, especially if you are looking for a high quality product and you do not need an integrated screen.
The second generation, recently launched on the market, has undergone a revolution in design: now the dark-colored fabric is really nice to see and manage to abbinarsi in most homes.
The audio quality is the same as the Sonos One? Unfortunately no. Audiophiles will certainly find some inaccuracies in the audio industry, however, it is suitable for listening to all kinds of music.
The real strength, just like all the Amazon smart speakers, is the price. With less than € 100.00 you can enter the world of home automation with a respectable product, fully compatible with Amazon and Alexa can control every appliance in their own voice, in every room.
In short: if you want to buy your first speaker, or if you want a cheap product Amazon, the Amazon Echo Plus is a perfect place to start. No other solution is cheaper than this!
Echo Plus (2nd generation) – Textile anthracite + Philips Hue White Bulb
6. Amazon Echo Input
Amazon Input Echo is the latest in the house Amazon: Alexa lead in each system Audio and driving is now possible. Read the review to find out what it is.
Best smart speaker with the 2020 screen
In this guide we have also included the intelligent speakers equipped with a screen, very useful for some functionality that we will see in more detail below. Here are the best!
Amazon Echo Spot
Like an echo, but with the screen
The Amazon Echo Spot is a step in the right direction: the renewed design, brilliant display and the touch screen of excellent quality and support to third-party services makes the device a real must buy.
The touch screen is 1280 × 720 px, very good for remotely read information. Adaptive brightness is a much appreciated feature, although the screen is not the primary method of interacting with this device: is obviously optimized for Amazon Alexa.
Fun fact: many people have left a positive review stating that the kitchen works just fine, almost like a real assistant cook!
The Amazon Echo Spot is a marked improvement over previous models: recommended product for purchase. Check out our full review>
Amazon Echo Spot – smart alarm clock with Alexa – Black
Incoming devices
What should I expect from the speaker of the smart market? All intelligent speakers on the market are receiving a huge success and we’re just beginning. At this time a number of companies, including the Big technology, are working to make the audio devices to control with your voice. It remains to see which company will win the day, although Amazon has made a series of cost-effective products and equipped with a series of bad characteristics, thus making them the most sold in this niche market.
Meanwhile, there are lots of products to expect, especially in Italy:
Smart speaker Spotify
Some smart speaker allow you to enable music playback from a Spotify account, but this does not mean that the popular streaming service can not create a device of his own, able to compete with the big names in technology.
According to some rumors, Spotify is working hard on the voice search, even though it failed to achieve a real server as Alexa, Google and Siri Assistant.
Samsung Galaxy Home smart speaker
Although specifications are unknown, Samsung officially announced the Galaxy Home: his smart speaker that can compete with Apple HomePod. Planned capabilities Unpacked 2018 event are very high audio quality, the integration of various artificial intelligence and compatibility with the assistant Bixby.
At the moment we do not know a price and a release date, although we imagine functions with SmartThings ecosystem of Samsung.
Google Home Hub
The perfect rival Amazon Echo Show is released in the US, UK and Australia. Even Google has not announced the exact arrival of this equipment in Italy, what we know is that it will have a lower price Echo Show, integration with Google Photos and total user interface innovation.
We look forward with confidence this smart speaker of Big G.
What are smart speaker?
Essentially, what are they smart speaker; what are their applications in daily life?
Interacting vocally with a voice assistant, you can ask to hear your favorite music. It’s simple, just ask: “Hey Siri, let me listen to Pink Floyd”. In the kitchen it can be useful for example to set timer or to remind you.
The applications of the smart speaker are numerous: it is possible to control the switching on and off of an appliance, or control the lighting and temperature in a specific room.
Obviously purpose and uses of the devices vary greatly depending on the features of screen readers, that all restrictions imposed by Google, Amazon and Apple in the realization of voice assistants. Some users prefer the non-branded devices by manufacturers of Voice Assistant, as in the case of Bose 500 or the Sonos Play 1.
[Total: 5 Average: 5]