Smart speakers explained

Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor

Last updated 01 April 2020

For many of us, smart speakers are that first hit that gets you hooked on creating your smart home; devices like the Google Nest (formerly Google Home) and Amazon Echo. Many of us may already even have a Google Nest Mini or an Amazon Echo Dot, thanks to the countless number of promotions they've been part of. At a time, Woolworths was even giving away free smart speakers with grocery orders.

But if you haven't entered the smart speaker world, or the one you got with your bread and bog roll isn't what you thought it would be, then it's not too late. Here's everything you need to know about smart speakers.

We'll look at the following in this guide:

What is a smart speaker?
How do smart speakers work?
What to look for in a smart speaker
What about smart displays?
Who makes smart speakers?

What is a smart speaker?

In short, a smart speaker is a speaker that you can talk to; a speaker powered a virtual assistant such as Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, or Apple's Siri. In addition to playing music, a smart speaker's virtual assistant can respond to queries and commands, such as "what is my next appointment?".

How do smart speakers work?

No matter what smart speaker you're using, the fundamentals are the same. You use the wake word - OK Google, Alexa, or Hey Siri - and then ask a question or issue a command. "Alexa, play Bongzilla," or "OK Google, how do I make brownies?", for example.

Smart speakers can be used to answer generic question such as the aforementioned, but they can also be used as an input device for interfacing with other smart home appliances, such as light bulbs or a pedestal fan you have wired into a smart plug.

Smart speakers require internet connectivity to work, even when controlling other devices in your house.

What to look for in a smart speaker

There are two main things to consider in a smart speaker: ecosystem and audio quality.

Ecosystem relates to what virtual assistant your smart speaker is powered by: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple's Siri. While all three work in a similar way, they're compatible with different devices and services.

For example, in terms of music playback, Google Assistant can playback music from Spotify, Google Play Music, and YouTube Music. Alexa can play music from Amazon Music, Spotify, and Apple Music. And Siri can only play music from Apple Music.

Alexa and Google have the highest number of third party skills, followed by Siri. In fact, Siri on HomePod can't integrate with any third party services. Skills allow virtual assistants to tap into other facets of your life. For example, you can ask Alexa or Google Assistant to order you an Uber, but Siri on HomePod isn't able to do that, even though it can on your iPhone.

Your choice of assistant also affects other devices you can use in your smart home. Some devices - like Philips Hue smart bulbs - work with all three assistants. On the other hand, Xiaomi bulbs only work with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. For the most part, most smart home devices should work with both Google Assistant and Alexa, but Siri support (also known as HomeKit support) isn't quite as wide spread.

Audio quality is the second major part of the equation. You'll need to decide whether you want a smart speaker that you're mostly using to as a way to chat to a virtual assistant, or a smart speaker that you'll actively be listening to music on.

In terms of first party speakers, Google and Amazon both have multiple tiers of smart speaker. The Google Nest Mini and Amazon Echo Dot are your entry-level options; the audio quality on them is just alright. These mostly just as a way to get a smart speaker into a room. Step up and you've got the Google Nest, Amazon Echo, and Amazon Echo Plus; these are the minimum you'd want to consider if you're looking for a music playback solution. And at the high end you have the Google Nest Max and the Amazon Echo Studio; serious speakers with proper audio prowess.

At present, Apple only has one smart speaker: the HomePod. It retails for $469 outright, which puts it at the pricier end of the smart speaker spectrum.

What about smart displays?

Smart displays are essentially smart speakers, but with a screen. In addition to providing verbal responses to your queries, they offer visual feedback. This can be especially useful when it comes to cooking instructions, watching video, or checking any compatible security cameras you own.

If you're after a smart display, Google and Amazon are your main choices, powered by Google Assistant and Alexa, respectively. Google has the Google Nest Hub and the Google Nest Hub Max, while Amazon has a whole range of

Lenovo also makes Google Assistant powered smart displays.

Who makes smart speakers?

Amazon, Google, and Apple all make their own smart speakers, but if you're interested in the Alexa or Google Assistant ecosystem, you'll find smart speakers from third party manufacturers that make devices powered by these virtual assistants.

Sonos products such as the Sonos One, Sonos Beam, and Sonos Move are perhaps the most interesting, because they're compatible with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. While you can't have both running at the same time, you're able to toggle your speakers between the two. This might be a great option if you can't work out what ecosystem to commit to. However, Sonos speakers are on the pricier side, starting at $299 for the Sonos One.

Bose also has speakers with both Google Assistant and Alexa, albeit with a higher starting price. These start at $499.95 for the Bose Portable Home Speaker, or $529.95 for the Bose Home Speaker 500.

If you're after a Google Assistant speaker not made by Google, you'll find options made by JBL, Sony, and LG are your options. There are less third-party Alexa speakers around, but the UE Megablast has Amazon's assistant integrated.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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