The hottest trend in the consumer electronics industry is the in-home voice-control assistant. The Amazon Echo and Google Home were two of first products on the market, and in 2018 Apple launched its own competitor, the HomePod. These devices function as audio speakers but have a number of other features to help make your home smarter and more connected.

Voice Commands

A home assistant is basically a small computer that you can control with your voice instead of a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. The Echo, Home, and HomePod can all be activated with voice commands and do not require any physical interaction with the device. For example, you can use the “Hey Siri” command to have the Apple HomePod start playing an album of playlist. The device can answer questions and perform actions just like the normal Siri tool on iPhones and iPads.

Integration With Other Devices

With a digital home assistant, you can bring all your smart home devices into one central hub. The Google Home device is especially good at this, as you can configure it to connect to things like smart light bulbs, smart TVS, and even smart coffee makers. With only your voice, you can have Google Home turn on lights, start playing a movie, or begin brewing coffee right when you wake up.

Easy Communication

Home assistants also have the capability to replace a home landline phone and serve as a family communication device. The Amazon Echo Show features a digital display screen, so you can initiate video chats with just your voice. All communication occurs over your home wi-fi network, so no additional phone charges are required. It’s an easy way to keep in contact with people, even when your smartphone is not nearby.