How Google Lost The Smart Home Race To Alexa

[@paulhibbert]

Morning everybody! Please don't hate me ;) I LOVE my google home speakers, I just think they're falling too far behind. Don't forget you can win your Ultimate Tech Bundle by entering Fasthosts’ Techie Test here: www.fasthosts.co.uk/paulhibbert 😁

[@noize1495]

To clean the toilett you need Alexa Flush. I've allready bought one for about 25 Euro. www.ebay.de/itm/143207808028

[@elfic]

@@PAL.Studios the lack of communication and complete disconnect with the users is a very Google thing. It's not only the Nest, it's in many of their products... That is infuriating indeed, because they have the capacity to take it all. They are omnipresent, have smart engineers, and have the best AI bar none. The only piece that prevents Amazon from closing the deal for good was only briefly addressed by @Paul Hibbert: the lack of international service. If you are not in one of the few countries that have a complete integration with Amazon retail sales, you get nothing (and that's not just "we innovate in the US first then extend"...). I don't need to be able to order "Alexa, order some more milk" to automate my lights and A/C, do I?

[@VijayKiran]

Point 2 : duo does it for us.. As restrictive as iOS is on mobile os ..as is Google in smart assistant...I don't know what is siri and Cortana though..

[@4daluvofnikki]

Oh well scratch off IFTTT integration off the list. LOL Sorry that isn’t funny.

[@niklasjalden9429]

I agree with you on most points. For example, how can google still not support live voice calling between speakers, why so slow and unflexible in routines, etc. But, the reason for why google lives and will survive, is in line with what you describe: You dont want to speak for all the things you'd like to get done, but for the things you want to use your voice, it would be nice if the speaker at least made an effort to understand what is the most likely thing that you might have said. "Alexa, when does the nearest resturant open, " ... "the near-ass resturant in somewhere USA opens..." How can Amazon with the longest run on the smart-home-speaker market still not understand shit, and still believe that all the worlds population are only interested in whats going on in the US. I doubled, Alexa and google for quite a while but sold my Alexas as they cant do shit for you if you live in sweden

[@SmartHomeSolver]

Great video Paul! I agree with everything you said. Especially the naming of the Google Nest Hub. They really did overly complicate things that didn't need to be. Also when, or if, Google updates their routines to be triggered by other devices it may not ever be as good as Amazon's.

[@paulhibbert]

Thanks dude. Now just gotta get you turned around on Philips Hue 😜 ❤️

[@monas.6839]

How cool is this?! My two favorite smart home channels together! Time for a colab! 💜😀

[@paulhibbert]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5q3Zmh9mspqpsk 😉

[@mortenleinan]

How about that you 2 big youtubers try to get the info to google? you have alot of good input to give them. We all want the best tech we can get, dont care how we get it. Thanks both for great content :)

[@philliphugh3347]

@@paulhibbert That man's 'Not for turning!'

[@TenshiR]

I had a few scares. We use the Echo so often my son's first word was almost "Alexa".😓

[@jimmylugo2682]

😂😂😂😂

[@christopherf7423]

Have another baby, and name her Alexa.

[@ayporos]

I own a Google Home, Google Home Mini, Nest thermostat and 5 Google Nest Mini speakers. I completely agree with Paul on most parts, especially the shafting of Nest. I really regret buying that Nest thermostat and not just buying a more basic Z-wave thermostat that I can just control from my Hubitat (and from Google via a Hubitat trigger/switch). As far as automation goes, I let my hubitat handle all of that so I really only need the Google to activate a hubitat routine, however I COMPLETELY agree with the custom wake command. I REALLY REALLY REALLY hate having to say "hey Google" and not being able to customize that.

[@francistaylor1822]

I think you are right there, but the really really annoying thing for me is the wake name. It was almost a dealbreaker, but at the time I bought, google had a hard mic switch and amazon didnt.

[@TheHookUp]

You are so damn entertaining. One thing I'd add after being burned WAY too many times by Google: Google has a history of just kind of giving up on things and scrapping projects, Amazon will drag it out to the bitter end before scrapping a project (they even tried to make a stupid camera that judges your fashion work for over 2 years). I still have two "Google TVs" that were supposed to revolutionize what a smartTV was, then google was like "No, we want to make this thing called AndroidTV, it's different than what you have. No, you can't have updates. By the way, nothing on your TV will work anymore"

[@paulhibbert]

Thanks dude 😊👍 wise words too. I think there's a website dedicated to all googled abandoned project somewhere too! 😅

[@Stone815]

Do you even know what you're talking about? Name one Google service that lasted less than two years.

[@TheHookUp]

@@Stone815 Here you go bro: killedbygoogle.com/ I won't be angry if you delete your idiotic comment.

[@acts9531]

Amazon abandons things too. I bought an Amazon phone a few years back and now it's a remote control with no SIMM because Amazon stopped supporting it or updating it years ago. I can't even load the Alexa app on it. Imagine an Amazon phone that you can't put the Alexa app on ... Yeah, I call that abandoned.

[@paulhibbert]

Sorry Michael, this is a bit embarrassing for you 😂 killedbygoogle.com

[@jeroendewildt8193]

I don't disagree, but if you're in a non English speaking country like me, Amazon just sucks.

[@cretadeus]

I don't think it's the country. I think it's your accent. Try using a Bronx or Southern accent.

[@Tommyownzz]

why?

[@cretadeus]

@@Tommyownzz It's a joke Tommy!. Kinda. I'm from a different country also but only fluent in English. I don't have any problems with voice recognition. Therefore...no accent. People here complain about Echo and Google because it doesn't recognize them with their accent. I'm kidding around when I said to use a Southern or Bronx accent because it's heavy but still recognizable by Echo and Google.

[@LostOnTheLine]

Google is much better at understanding voices. As I just said in my comment my 3 year old niece can talk to Google no problem, it works with more variety of voices, accents, & phrasing

[@ravitejaknts]

@@cretadeus bing sucks outside english speaking countries. Same with alexa. its not about voice recognition, its about alround experience

[@arunvijayind]

All I want to change the"Hey Google" & "Ok Google". It sucks over time.

[@somerandomperson9846]

You can change it from the app

[@daviddemaree2988]

@@somerandomperson9846 I don't believe you, I demand that you tell me how to do this ...

[@somerandomperson9846]

@@daviddemaree2988 ok noodle works you don’t need to change anything from the app any thing that sounds similar to ok google should work

[@androidmorgan11]

You can actually say "hey boo boo" or "ok boo boo" to wake a google product. Not much better I know haha

[@tsunamitube3351]

@@androidmorgan11 i use " cocaine poodle"

[@PhillipHilton]

So in short "Alexa is ahead at the moment and Google is lagging" Let's come back in 18 months time when Google have gotten their act together, fired the wallies holding up development and thrown everything at it to catch Amazon. This brings up an issue I have with ALL of the smart speakers produced by both Google and Amazon. Simply put its this: 'Being as the whole voice assistant domain is moving so rapidly why on earth would you make any form of significant hardware purchase which locks you into only a single vendor's voice assistant and its associated ecosystem?' This is fundamentally why when I started down the whole home automation route three years ago I went with Sonos which supports both Alexa and Google assistant. Over the course of the last three years I've had Alexa as my VA, swapped to Google and now I'm back using Alexa again. All throughout the last three years my hardware has remained the same and I'm beholden to neither side. Additionally, the audio quality is just better in a smart speaker that's a speaker first and voice assistant second. Bose have taken the same approach and support both also. Its a mystery to me why either company - Amazon or Google - is even still bothering to make their own hardware. Why not just license your voice assistants using a common minimum supported architecture with a broad three to five year shared roadmap? Sign up Dali, JBL, Sony, Bose, Sonos, Adam, Klipsch, Tannoy, et al. and let the market choose. Its utterly bananas not to do so.

[@courtenayblair2279]

its been about 5 years...why wait another 18 months

[@jasonoliver3548]

the point is that they can make them super cheap so everyone will have them in their homes. people that expect them to sound really good too is so confusing. But a good speaker if you want it to sound good....like one of the ones that they've licenced pout to.

[@michaelm.3641]

@Oracladeus I mean this is a bit different as the Google Assistant which powers Google Home products is ingrained into their phone products. They might abandon their independent home speakers but the assistant behind them will undoubtedly continue to be improved upon.

[@benfulford3943]

Thanks, this is the best comment I have seen on this. I was just looking at the sonos yesterday. I think I'll go for that when I move into my new place. I've been leaning more towards going down the Google route mainly cos alexa really annoys me when I've been around friends houses that have her, whereas Google seems slightly less annoying. But probably best not to commit to either company and just be agnostic.

[@richardlyd7450]

A big plus for me is Amazon echo is great for Dev's coding...but Google got to fill your phone with apps

[@GustavoScarpellini]

dev's coding ? how?

[@richardlyd7450]

@@GustavoScarpellini using things like..Fauxmoesp..etc...using the esp8266 or esp32..

[@GustavoScarpellini]

@@richardlyd7450 gonna have a look into that. Thanks man

[@jerabekj]

Great video as usually, thanks. I am, for some time now, trying to decide my route in smart home and voice assistant - Google or Amazon. I never heard myself Gmini nor Echo dot, but some friends having GMini told me, that it sounds decent. Honestly, I tend to Alexa more and more as I continue with my research, but just want to be sure before I lock myself to one or other solution. But regarding to audio conectivity of GMini - I see 2 options how to set this up, both without cables. 1) BT dongle connected to my Yamaha receiver via analog connection 2) is imho better - connecting a Chromecast into HDMI of my Yamaha and streaming music this way. The downside is that this way it cant be used for all the sound from GMini, just for streaming.

[@vulpix0r]

It's just a shame that Alexa has difficulty understanding English in other regions while there are no issues with Google. 😢 Tried so many times and Alexa gets my commands wrong constantly.

[@FairGround7Delorean]

Yea it's not a fan of the Scottish accent so much so that a sitcom made a skit about exactly that haha

[@pawjeppesen-ifttttricks605]

Not to mention all of us, who doesn't speak English as our native language...

[@adriantcg3676]

i dont have issues and my native is far from english... i can see why scottish accent is difficult to alexa, when i was in Edinburgh i barely understood anything 🤣

[@JavierNoval]

You forgot the most important thing: "She who must not be named" is already able to imitate Darth Vader 😂

[@chrisnielson2212]

I think you pretty much nailed it. I started my smart home with the Google Mini’s and quickly became frustrated with the lack of capability as compared to a friend who used the Amazon Alexas. After a while I migrated to Alexa while keeping the minis, because let’s face it, they excel at answering questions. What I really like about the Alexa system is how often new features and capabilities are added, the routines and just the overall interactions with the system. Plus being able to use the wake word “Computer” is a nice bonus.

[@insatiablehunger2138]

Enough already you won bro u already earned my like 😂😂😂 Got me laughing 🤣 especially those clean edits

[@102179mark]

FYI, Google Home speakers can listen for glass breaking as well. I agree with you on a couple points there. I can't stand the routines on Google, although I haven't found a system I do care for automations on either. The Google Nest fiasco is atrocious why they rebranded at all makes no sense to me either. Taking away the third party support for the thermostats pissed me off more than anything. I had just figured out how to integrate them into Smartthings, then they pulled it.

[@cretadeus]

Google Home detecting an intruder: WARNING! I CAN DETECT GLASS BREAKAGE. USE A HAMMER DRILL ON THE DOOR LOCKS INSTEAD!

[@DesignitBuilditRepairit]

I don't know about the walkie-talkie thing but you can use Google Duo to call home from a smartphone and I have a conversation

[@gtubbs6974]

It just follows the whole "Google doesn't care about hardware" argument. They seem to say "ooh, this is shiny lets do/have that" - later - "bored now, Whats next? - Ooh shiny"

[@TenshiR]

Doesn't Kohler have an Alexa connected toilet already?

[@MekaniQ]

The Numi 2.0 lol

[@cosmotk]

LMAO 6:24 .."Come back here and flush me, you disgusting animal" 😅😅

[@jasonoliver3548]

not sure that it's "over" but I agree with everything you said about them losing. the crazy part is that they could fix it tomorrow if they actually got their shit together and did it. I think you're right that they didn't have a plan and it got fragmented and now they're a bit lost in the woods.

[@amritpalsd1994]

One thing I like about google is android auto and being able to google assistant to broadcast and trigger routine from the car

[@pythonantole9892]

I own the Google nest speakers and have been using them for almost a year, then one day i visit a friend who is on the Alexa ecosystem and while sitting on the couch i hear the Echo say "Sunset will be in 10 minutes, i'm now turning on the lights and closing the front door." Wow! I ask what's going on and he says its a routine. I think "well not a big deal, google home has routines as well, i'll set it up when i get home". I get home and it turns out that i can't do the same with Google home. Alexa routines are miles ahead of what Google offers, the level of automation you can achieve with Alexa is simply incomparable with Google's. I sold the dumb speakers on ebay for pennies and got myself 3 echos and the echo flex. If you want to know how may Yens make 1 USD and check the weather then go with Google home but if you want real smart home capabilities and/or automation Alexa is the way to go.

[@paulhibbert]

A classic case there dude. Google really ought to see this, as I think you are a prime example of what is happening in the market place.

[@nucks4cup75]

You can do timed routines with Google too. It's the only other trigger they have that's not voice.

[@pythonantole9892]

@@nucks4cup75 In my example, you'd have to know when Sunset will be, with Alexa you don't have to, it queries when Sunset will be on its own.

[@nucks4cup75]

@@pythonantole9892 ah yes your correct here

[@jmr]

@@paulhibbert An Amazon "prime example"?

[@joejoe6949]

What I’m not liking is that the echo control zig bee but ring owned by amazon uses z wave why not stick to one radio system. And lately thing on Alexa stop working and I can’t figure out why

[@chrishoggett1375]

Again, in Belgium Google is winning because Amazon kinda forgot we exist. I use Alexa, you wouldn’t believe how many people ask me, what’s Alexa? Looking puzzled that amazon make smarthome stuff. And people with lots of many just install the Niko Home Controle (I think that works with both Google and Alexa, but probably not Siri, not sure) Anyway, can somebody tell Amazon that Belgium is a country and yes, we do have money to buy stuff. Making us an annex of Amazon Germany and Amazon France is useless. Tried buying an echo dot clock for Belgium, got directed to Amazon Germany to then be told they don’t ship to Belgium... same story with France....

[@catiaVanPT]

Oh my lord the exact same thing just happened to me. I'm from Portugal, they've made us an annex of Amazon Spain and is useless. I was trying to buy the echo dot and was also directed to Amazon Germany and still no delivery here. It's ridiculous, I get it, it's a small country but everybody uses Amazon so it's about time they change some stuff. Right now I'm leaning towards Google home just because of that hassle.

[@z0phi3l]

Funny thing is I've been switching to Google services because my Kasa smart devices work better with Assistant, for whatever reason Alexa doesn't want to work with them even tho the listing says they are compatible, plus the new Google speakers look to be a great deal

[@asya_6254]

My google home has been acting up as of lately, disconnecting from bluetooth randomly, doesn’t connect at all, so many other things.

[@reinaldots]

Here in Brazil we are practically abandoned by Google, we only have the Google Nest Mini without news since it was launched here and the Nest Hub does not work in Portuguese. Already on Amazon almost every month there are news for the Echo line, the support is excellent, the routines help a lot and there are many skills in Portuguese.

[@mrpmj00]

Amazon Alexa is the best for home automation, it has the most skills. Echo dot 4th generation has zigbee builtin (to control my blinds, doorlock, etc.). Also, Google can't add a device to more than 1 room or group; example: kitchen and family room are adjacent to each other and I want the lights in both room to turn off if I say all, as well as independently turning off either room. Alexa is inexpensive so I bought 8 to equip every room with Amazon Alexa for voice control so that I can just ask 'turn off the lights' and the echo in that room knows to turn off those lights and not other lights in the house. Google app's fonts are really really really tiny for my old eyes. All 8 of my Amazon Echo devices have a clock... very convenient to tell the time or see a timer's countdown. or better sound, I have a few of my Amazon Echo dot 3 with clock output the sound via its 3.5mm headphone jack to my Denon HEOS speakers. New home automation users who want zigbee to communicate with blinds, door locks, lightbuilbs, etc. can just buy the Amazon Echo 4th generation with builtin zigbee.

[@stepheng8779]

The street value of citalopram has soared this year. Originally thought to be the effects of lockdown, it's actually due to people shouting 'ok computer' at their fart boxes and getting bloody Radiohead whining at them.

[@karthik1sky]

I thought we would be getting ifttt "pro" video this week

[@mrdando]

karthik shetty think it will be next week as this news only came out mid week

[@mkjustuk]

Haha me too, corporate greed! corporate greed!

[@paulhibbert]

Oh it will be coming, don't you worry! 🤣 I have a really hectic schedule at the minute though so it might be later than I want.

[@beastobadness]

When I first seen the announcement on Reddit I literally sat there and grinded my teeth, my wife actually asked me if I was alright and the first thing I said to her was "Paul Hibbert is gonna love this"😂

[@fortherecord1569]

Ah come on. THREE free applets isn't enough for you? Hahaha!!!

[@richardc316]

If you have 2 alexa devices (or 2 Google nests) and you're equidistant between them, which one will respond, or play your music?

[@peterlc8166]

I notice IFTTT has made changes to its service. They now have a paid version that must sign up to if you want more than 3 functional recipes.

[@ToddKing]

Linden Tibbets, the big cheese at IFTTT is asking for feedback on his twitter account. I went and and told him that it was BS that I bought devices that said works with IFTTT but now won't unless I pay $120. You should complain too. Even if it doesn't affect you right now. Everyone should. twitter.com/ltibbets

[@Flightsimmovies]

I currently use google home mini in my bedroom and decided to buy another one for living room. Should I get google nest mini or echo dot ?

[@rsndetre1]

I just bought a Google Nest Hub and I'm very happy with it. I had an RM Pro that I could not integrate with Alexa on my phone (tried some time ago) and with Google it just works. Alexa app was trowing all sorts of errors when trying to import the skill and I gave up. I know for other people works and probably is updated now. Even more, from what I know, if you have a Dot you still require a third device to interface with RM pro. Not the case with Google Nest Hub. Second, I don't know about Alexa, but Google made huge steps in understanding your particular pronunciation of english. I'm honestly surprised. My spoken english is quite bad and it never fails to understand me. Third. What ever commands I'm giving, it gets what I mean. Even for routines, if I forget to speak the exact phrase I defined it understands. Honestly, this is AI stuff at work here and it works brilliantly. Lastly, I don't have things that require automation in my home. I just use it to turn on/off stuff and to display photos. For that Google is fine. What seems interesting, is the possibility to change the keyword with Alexa. Saying always "OK Google" sucks big time. In the end, I really don't care who wins. I just care which one is easier to work with and speak to. As of now, there isn't really a home automation market. I'm not gonna put a smart lock on my door and certainly I'm not gonna trust an app with data on cloud to open or close it. Also, I don't need the lights on at a certain time. Automation will be when we will have truly useful devices that can save us some free time. A cleaning robot that is smarter then stumbling from corner to corner. Smart pet feeding devices and toys. Robots that can clean around the house. Turning stuff on/off at certain times ... just meh. Edit: btw, I have bluetooth speakers but no interest in connecting the Google Nest to it. I'm not listening to music loud in the house as I will disturb the other members of the family. So lack of a jack ... not really caring either.

[@slipknottin]

Maybe it’s just me, but I’m still waiting for some company to bring voice recognition devices like Alexa to market that are run locally. Similar to Mixtile, but not with a built in hub, just a front end device that I can tie into my hubitat system. 99% of the time I talk to Alexa it’s just to turn lights on or off. Don’t need much processing power to do that

[@jmr]

I 100% agree! I think we might have to build our own though. I've been thinking I could do that with a Raspberry PI or another SBC.

[@SmartHomePoint]

I agree entirely, and have covered the confusing naming/branding and also the frustrating dropping of Play Music recently. Whilst I do like my Nest Mini, I can't help but feel that the Google Home/Nest ecosystem will continue to fall behind bit by bit.

[@richardc316]

I don't have any smart devices yet, but I do use Google assistant on my android phone. I am thinking about getting a hub and some smart lights, but don't know which way to go. 🤔.

[@micahjohnson9184]

I'm a pixel 3a user and it's been great I have a Google mini, just got Google wifi today and maybe eventually the new nest thermostat so far from a software propective and getting updates Google has been amazing! We also use an Echo dot and my cousin has prime and amazon music they are great for task but I find google more help when using things day to day even commuicaties better because it's already integrated into things like my phone instead of having to download a alexa app to take up space Google Assistant is system based what I would take away from this is yeah what he says in the video is true! Amazon Echo has more complex routines but if you want simple routines that get the job done, and Al that understands you better that being regardless of speech and a company that works with more 3rd party things then Google should be a great choice for you 😊

[@richardc316]

@@micahjohnson9184 Thanks Micah, that's very helpful.

[@micahjohnson9184]

@@richardc316 Anytime 😊👍

[@WCG72]

Having the ability to have Google turn everything off in my living room including the TV when I say "turn off living room" and turn on everything in my master bedroom including the tv when I say "turn on the bedroom". I have every room set up to do the same. Plus Amazon has way too many security issues for my comfort.

[@martynadams754]

Started with Echos, but I decided to go all-in with Google for three reasons - KZbin, Android phone integration and being able to use it in the car mainly for voice controlling navigation. However, I still have an Echo Dot in the living room, and out of all the speakers in the house it probably gets the most use simply because "Alexa" rolls off the tongue better than "OK, Google" does!

[@GForce2010]

I started out with Google Home, I think I was a few months in when I got an Echo Dot. I have a slight speech impediment and fine saying Alexa soo much easier than saying OK Google.

[@whoanelly-]

Your case aside, (I have never considered speech impediment) but in general tho, I never understood the general argument about one is "easier" to say. First you can say "Hey Google" insead of "ok google" Then when you compare to Alexa, it comes down to 3 sylables. So I dont see how its easier to Say "Alexa" vs "Hey Google" when its the same amount of sylables. I will gripe that why hasnt google enabled the ability to change the wake phrase yet.

[@virgil3241]

I have an Ecobee switch, which has Alexa. Its basically a wall switch that has a built in speaker. Its awesome, and yes, its not super loud music, but for a kitchen, its great. And it takes up no room since its in the wall

[@clavacats2991]

very usefull..you can tell you're not just sponsored advertising...you're my favorite reviewer 'I've come across so far...keep up the good work...hi from New Jersey US

[@zmoclov21]

I am a Google smart products owner and I was going to start by saying "I hate to say it, but.." but I don't even hate to say it, it actually is easy to say at this point... It's easy to say, you're right about all of this. I am so frustrated with the flip floppy tenancies of google and all their smart protects. And the worst part is, I have $100s of dollars spent on their products so it's so hard to justify switching to Amazon products at this point, but I get closer and closer every day! I'm sick of all this. I don't get why they keep flipping. It's very easy to look at any past failed smart product. They always fail the moment the "smart" thing that they are trying to automate/make easier for the user actually becomes harder. Well, most of the time this automating time becomes harder the moment they start picking and choosing which companies/other products their product is compatible with. Google said they were cutting off compatibility with other brands because they couldn't guarantee security that way. I sounds good and all, but really I feel like that's just a scapegoat in order to make the user buy all their products. Look at IFTTT, they used to have SO much support. Then they dropped a few big companies and apps and their usability went way down breaking many of their users' automation. It want so far down that they had to mini-rebrand and now call it IFTTT Pro, i.e. they just weren't making as much money as they were and had to stat charging-that's really all the PRO is... Long story short, and I don't get how these companies don't see this: If you make something smart/easier you can't make it harder for the user and expect to make more money from your change. It should only get easier. So if your product starts out being compatible with others, you can't then down the road change that (especially if your competitors continue to be compatible with others!).

[@jarekkorytkowski6402]

You MUST review the Google Nest Hub and a video of how to makee Google and Alexa work together, we your google users fans need itt lad!

[@k6173]

But in some countries of the world, the only option is google, so whether you like it or not, you are stuck with google.

[@jasondunn4123]

Your point about not being able to connect a Google speaker to a better sound system can be done! 🤓. The only downside is Google no longer make the Google audio dongle that allows you to do it, unless you get one off ebay. I've done it and works perfectly. So the google speaker will still talk to me using its own speaker and answer questions etc but I've set it to use the Google audio (connected to a 5.1 surround system) when I want it to play music, Also handy as the speaker is on one side of the room and surround is on the other and no cables or lag on the sound.

[@mkjustuk]

I agree with most of this. One thing I would say, is to me as a Brit living in Europe is that Amazon (Alexa) has nothing like the foothold Google has outside of the UK and US

[@paulhibbert]

Really?? I had no idea! I just assumed they were massive all over the world. I wonder why not. 🤔

[@CameoDan1]

Its true, if Amazon doesn’t support the language, they ban the sale of their products in those countries, for instance I can’t by an echo in the Netherlands. When ordering from Amazon.co.uk or .de it states delivery is not possible to the Netherlands. And Not even sold on Amazon.nl.

[@mkjustuk]

@@paulhibbert Amazon (shopping) hasn't been as big a thing for as long in other parts of Europe (still isn't) so Echo saturation hasn't been as easy and Google is everywhere (physical shops, mobile service provider giveaways and of course Spotify).

[@TortoiseT]

@@paulhibbert Belgium chiming in. You can't even buy most Echo stuff here yet... The echo dot 3 still hasn't come out. Echo flexes are nowhere in sight. For everything Amazon you have to buy old/outdated international versions and have to jump through silly hoops to make them work properly. It's the same for the entire Benelux market and I'm assuming other places in Europe as well. I would have loved to buy echo stuff, I didn't because Amazon is just not bringing most of their stuff to our markets.

[@cxar71]

Well, I guess it depends on where in EU you look. Here in Italy, well, Amazon basically runs the country. 😜

[@gordon861]

I have three Google Home minis doted around the house, manly for talk radio (great to turn them all on sync'd first thing in the morning and wander around the house listening without missing anything) and turning on/off a select number of often used lights. All my bulbs are Xiaomi and I use a few sonoff in line switches too, these all work fine with the Google kit. I've also just bought a couple of Xiaomi 'body sensors' (PIRs) which now turn on the hallway lights when they sense movement. I try to avoid Amazon as much as possible.

[@SmartHomeHASHTAGS]

I was a Google only user, but now I love Alexa much more than Google. I can use WiFi sensors to trigger Alexa routines. Google cannot, in Australia at least. But I really want the Echo Flex to be released in Australia.

[@terkfranks1538]

I like the shared photo album across Google Home Hubs for family members across the country/world... you can have pictures just show up from aunts and uncles you normally only see now and then at family reunions... 👍

[@frofa2954]

Paul, I totally agree with your conclusion, but let's not forget that Amazon Alexa also really sucks on a daily basis when used for home automation. Sure, it's much more versatile than anything Google offers right now, but it still is super basic. It often does not understand the name of devices (as you showed in your video), and routines can have only one trigger - plus, even very basic triggers do not exist. Like, "when a timer goes off", or "when a reminder comes up". Also routines, once they're running, cannot be stopped. WAY to go for Amazon, too!

[@stevecalise9299]

I think the Alexa app is a lot easier to navigate than the gogle home app as well. Google home app seems like everything you need is buried behind other things.

[@TheGrony]

Exactly... Even after 2 weeks still confused from Google Home app on iOS while Alexa works perfect and is much easier to navigate and understand... Living in country where Google has much better integration (Amazon is not operating here at all - Czechia EU) but killing it with app and overall possibilities for Google Home...

[@javenhax]

Uh.... As an exclusive GH household, it really pains me to say you're right Paul. I *wish* I could trigger routines through IFTTT. 🤦🏼‍♂️

[@paulhibbert]

I hadn't realised that wasn't a possibility. 🤦‍♂️

[@Jimmy_Jones]

Ouch

[@Pzykotik]

This. If they allowed IFTTT it would make the setup be actually useful.

[@sunilchandran4u]

Google not listening to customers. Customers like me asking Google to add a delay option in routines. Alexa already has it. Some times there are requirements to keep some delay between actions in a routine. When I asked this to support, they started asking me counter questions like why I need to do that!! I do have old IR remote based appliances and I made it kind of smart by purchasing a universal IR wifi remote. Most of the times I need proper sequencing of actions within a routine and some sort of delays in seconds and minutes. Google not understanding this at all. We have been asking this since 2018. This is not rocket science for them. You are absolutely right.

[@mizunopearl]

What I find frustrating about Amazon is that even if they release the device to Canada they still hold back many of the features. Household profiles don't exist for Amazon devices in Canada and that's huge for a multi user home. I can only hope that Amazon begins to roll out this feature to us, It is cheaper to outfit my home with Amazon devices (thanks in part to their sales) then it is with google. I also don't like the direction google is going.

[@LightsandFansGuy1999]

I do use Google for controlling my smart home among other things, I don't listen to music too often on my google speakers but when i do, they sound fine to me. Also i don't really use routines, so that isn't huge drawback for me. I own two Google Home Minis, a Google Home, and a Google Nest Hub.

[@DJAndroidGEEK]

Agree...so frustrating as a Google Only fam, do not want to switch to Amazon products but might have to.

[@edcameron]

A feature i loved on my google home was the ability to make calls and the sharing of contacts with my phone. I was used to saying "Hey google where's my phone?" when i had an android phone. I switched to iphone and said "Hey google wheres my phone?" and imidetly after saying it i thought "Oh, that wont work anymore because i dont have an android phone anymore" but it did work! The google home actually called my mobile!. Once i realised it could make phone calls, I would frequently use it. HOWEVER. Google removed this feature in the UK! arghhh this is so annoying. I am considering switching to Alexa just because of this!

[@samson9428]

As one whose smart home is google powered, I almost completely agree with every reason mentioned here. I get around having to voice control a lot of my routines by using a different app to trigger a routine when a condition of my choosing is satisfied, but on the whole, I think alexa is a better smart speaker, and a better controller for a smart home. Only reason I use google is because I find it easier to avoid accidentally waking the speaker up, and I was already using the Google home app for the chromecast I use to stream Disney to an older tv for my kids lol

[@Xalies]

IMO opinion Google lost it because it failed to humanize their assistants wake word ... Asking Alexa or Siri to turn on lights etc... just is natural to use a name like that "Hey Google" was just so "weird" and speaking as someone with a speech impediment it got progressively harder for it to recognize it. I don't know if its still like it but it was always really annoying how Google home would respond... "Hey Google, turn on the living room light" ... OK, turning on the living room light"

[@mpwinter]

Informative Video! One more thing that annoys me about the Google Home is that I don’t think there is away to Receive a Push Notification on my iPhone when the Google Hub Timer Goes Off. I can do this with my Echo Show using IFTTT. Or does anyone have any ideas on how this can be achieved with Google Home?

[@Betoballestas]

Agree 100%, just the fact to say "ok google" to trigger the assistant is ridiculous, they should give us more options, I mean... When you say "Alexa" it's way more comfortable and easier for kids, My 4 years old baby girl always have a hard time with the google assistant trigger

[@richarddcrossley]

Absolutely agree. I have Google home, homepod and Alexa and Amazon are so much better for home automation for everything except questions and arguably also controls Sonos better as well. Love Google photos on nest hub though.

[@drjohnt4197]

Great video. Shame Google marketing are not listening. Fortunately I have Home Assistant so I can configure Google to do anything like set scenes, run automations etc.

[@BKMakes]

Just received my first Google Nest mini’s after watching a pile of reviews on how much it’s improved/it’s better. Instant regret after realizing I can’t play my own downloaded music without paying or casting via Bluetooth. KZbin music is almost unusable. How is this even possible in 2020?

[@sky.london]

I tired looking for the JBL speaker but I couldn’t find it. Have they stopped making it anyone know?

[@neklamp2431]

I'm a google home mini speaker user, I love it, but you are RIGHT in everything you said!

[@joesmarthome5946]

Although I agree with most of what you said, both Google Home and Alexa suffer from one main problem... they require internet access. With that alone, I would never use either Google Home or Alexa as the main "hub" for my smart home setup. I used Smartthings for a bit, drove me crazy When it comes to smart home the main thing I care about is reliability. To get reliability at this time, I think the only way to do it is with a local hub that does not "require" internet access (HomeAssistant, HomeSeer, OpenHab, Hubitat etc) With a local hub being the main brain of my smart home, I don't want Alexa or Google home to be another brain. So personally, I do not have any use for the extras that alexa skills/routines provides over google home. I want smart speaker routines to only activate when I say something. If I want a routine to activate based on a non-voice trigger, my smart hub will take care of that, and important routines will still run without internet access. The problem with a local hub is that the companies or communities running them do not have the same resources as google or amazon, so the features take more time to integrate and may not be easy enough to setup for your average smart home joe. Personally before I buy any smart device I ensure it can work with my hub in some way, this can stop me from using some of the cheaper wifi devices though... but rarely I am still going to stick with google home for a couple reasons … 1) alexa skills/routines, no benefit to me yet over google routines 2) Asking questions to google is WAY better than alexa. I am still impressed that google can answer some of the stupid questions I have with horrible sentence structure 3) Fire Tv does have a remote, but Google Sabrina (new chromecast) is coming out soon with a remote 4) Netflix, Disney+, KZbin, UPNP streaming all work natively on Google (Nest) hub screens 5) Google interpreter: translates real-time. Not used often, but holy crap is it convenient. 6) find my phone. Turns volume to max. I use this ALL the time 7) With Google doorbell, it automatically shows on Google hubs when someone rings the bell. I think alexa you have to ask 8) multiple different phrases for the same routine. "Turn off all the lights", "please turn off all lights", "yo man, turn off dem lights" Features google should work on implementing ... 1) drop in (like alexa does), but have an option to have the other speaker require confirmation before drop in. Something like "Kitchen speaker wants to chat. Enable conversation mode?" I don't think alexa does this (I could be wrong) but this is why I don't want drop-in the way alexa has done it 2) Alexa app has geofencing, Google home does not, only home/away with nest. (There are other ways to do it though) I can see the appeal of Alexa over Google home though and since the consumer market is more of "your average joes", alexa provides more capabilities to them with less tinkering Note: I got lucky with my thermostat, I went ecobee instead of nest. It was my first smarthome device. Now knowing, I would have gone Zwave or something local

[@raahulpooran]

Yeah both are very good but I'll stick to google

[@mazirius11]

What do you mean "they don't work offline"? Amazon echo plus has the capability of controlling devices while your local network lost internet access

[@joesmarthome5946]

@@mazirius11 only for devices hooked up directly to echos. So things like Zwave, not possible without something like node-red running on a separate server (smarthub). Also I dont think routines is local control, could be wrong. Then whats the point

[@mazirius11]

@@joesmarthome5946 local routines are working on Echo plus to some extent for sure - of course you need the action to be doable offline. As for local control of smart home devices i know for sure that zigbee and wifi devices connected to the echo device are controllable locally. If you rely on some online skill between Alexa and your zwave hub then it's not really an problem of the Echo.

[@joesmarthome5946]

@@mazirius11 yes many things can be controlled locally with alexa, but anything that isnt in the list requires a smarthub or RPi running alongside anyways. Again, so what the point, why not run it all off the pi. Google has native local support on the way, but it can also already be setup locally if you are tech savy enough. I dont want all my devices to be seen by the echos or google homes, by making them the smarthub there is literally no way to stop that. So even when full local control is supported (for any kind of device which will never happen), I am still going to use a smarthub over a voice assistant device

[@eig1979]

Google Home Max speaker, and the Google Nest/Home Hub are both awesome... And I hear we're getting another Smart speaker from them, along side the Pixel 5, and another ChromeCast, I believe September 30th...

[@paultyler5246]

Google home mini may not have a line out socket but it does have Bluetooth if you want to connect decent speakers.

[@clavacats2991]

The yelling at the alexa /google had me lmao....that's what I been doing - exactly like that ... I thought it was just me

[@speedracer9132]

I came here because I'm trying to find out what google can do that amazon cannot... I am at the point where I've been thinking everything you said in this video about google being way behind in this arena. If I can confirm that there is no loss of features by switching to echo and using android phone, that will be the final nail in the coffin.

I literally had the same energetic discussion with one of my colleagues. I've enjoyed how easy and inexpensive it was too get my smart home going with Amazon. I've always been a big fan of google, but I financially could not support doing my entire house in Google/nest only products. I a father of four children see the value with the echo devices. I was able to get my echo 5 devices for only 60 bucks apiece when they went on sale. I have yet to see a Google nest interface device anywhere near that price.

[@macinman]

Hey Paul, I have both Google and Amazon here. As you are stating here though, I find myself preferring Amazon over Google for many of the reasons you're stating here. Routines, compatibility with third party devices etc. I bought amazon first then got a Google home, because I have some devices with Google tech built in. So that was my main purpose here was to use the Google home with google specific devices, and Amazon for everything else. At the end of the day though, I find having both can complement one another. One last thought though, I think at this point, even over Apple, I would still say Amazon is my chosen smart platform here, it just has the best all around support, value and versatility of products, and services you can use it with, and for.

[@paulhibbert]

Thanks dude. I wonder what things will look like in 10 years time. I really like my Google speakers, but I am also finding myself using Alexa for everything.

[@legitgibbo3225]

They didn't cut off Amazon on the thermostat because they know Amazon would just make there own version that is 3rd party friendly and take them on in that product

[@DaanKauwenberg]

Great video Paul! Only thing is that Alexa does not support Dutch which Google Home does, guess that already makes Google the obvious choice for me. Will have to connect it to a Hubitat or SmartThings hub to get similar options (and more, which is a bonus). This is the way 🤷‍♂️

[@danidast]

I'm a google home owner and I totally agree with you. And what about reminders? No notification (except on the phone). Alexa scream your reminder at the specific time. I would like to choose if let google remind me, or just .... "a white point on it" -.- privacy pfff (sorry for my bad english 🤣)

[@Th.Alchemist]

When playing spotify on the google nest it sometimes cuts off, the song keeps going, but no sound comes out because of lost connection. So I lose 1/3 of the song at intervals, VERY annoying

[@Everbrooks]

I actually changed to Alexa because I became so annoyed about saying “Hey Google” or “Ok Google” the whole time. Saying “Alexa” is so more fluent and intuitive to use.

[@andrewbreton7062]

I'm ready to chuck my nine google voice devices, out the window. Google needs to update this glitch that always says there's a problem, when I say the wake word. If the zigbee lights I ordered, work with my hub, I will going with buttons for everything, and selling off all my speakers.

[@grahamjones7814]

I have 6 Echo dots around the house and 2 Google Home Hubs, we use Amazon for controlling the house, but when plays up I ask Google, although if I say turn off the bedroom TV, it turns off 1) The bedroom TV, 2) The Bedroom Now TV Box! I have set amazon up to turn off various plugs, Google Turns off everything, including it's self ! I do find the google home hub better for music as it plays from google music and KZbin, which are FREE, unlike Amazon!

[@techonthebrain6938]

You can Bluetooth Google Homes to orher speakers but I do agree,no AUX out is bad,although the Home Max has AUX out but I agree it is expensive

[@nikolasyeary1154]

Little late to this video but when you say google has better partners like JBL, isn't Amazon working with Bose because I know Bose has speakers with Alexa built in and the echo buds have Bose's sound reduction?

[@patrickpopp9197]

Google had a really nice product for the audio jack problem witch even got optical audio called chromecast audio but they discontinued it for nor reason and now the only option if you want to make existing speakers smart is sonos with their expensive af sonos links and amps. Amazon had a very similar device the echo input but that thing also vanished after a few month

[@linedwell]

I don't think I'd ever even try Google home tbh. The little Dot I have just works, nothing complicated or awkward, it just works. So I've no reason to bin it off.

[@robboefc]

I invested in a load of nest products just before they stopped working with everything else, what a move...

[@jsull5393]

Yep, same here. And I already had a load of echo devices but switched to Google based on the fact that the nest doorbell knocked the ring doorbell out of the park. I also own the nest thermostat and outdoor cam so it made sense at the time. Google have basically taken a big shit on their customers.

[@And_Rec]

in which country tho? alexa doesnt even support multiaccount (europe atleast) or a family account (as before), spotify family is unavailable too, voice recognition is a mess, other people can command too, and cant even invite guests... is a nice gadget but as a smart home assistant lacks too many features

[@chrisgclark]

I used smart life app as lots of tuya products, both link to Google and Alexa, but the Alexa integration was so much better. Google home found about 4 devices and none of my automations, but alexa found all and can trigger my tap to run automations.

[@footynutguy]

And there is the title of your April fools day video. 'How the Apple HomePod won the smart home war'

[@DisembodiedScreams]

All valid points but I lean more towards Google because of one thing - my kids. I can’t tell you how many times Amazon failed me when my kids needed an answer to something. So frustrating. I agree Google is lacking in some areas but I do feel they are still growing. Just keep a few Echoes around and you can have the best of both worlds.

[@Lolo_Mac]

I need to know where should I start if I just bought a home and I want to make it smart. Where do I begin?

[@rodp2310]

Your videos are always entertaining Paul. But the last few weeks you’ve been on fire 👍 Bring on the 100k and on to the mill.

[@ivyk5796]

I honestly don't understand why you can't change the audio ballance

[@justjake8095]

I remember last Christmas my fiancé gave a Echo Dot as one of my Christmas presents because I said how I kinda always one but could never justify buying one and just like Paul says, after while you end up shouting at it 😂 but I still enjoy using it for timers, alarms, playing spotify and random stuff especially since I wanna convert my home into a "smart" home. Around the same time Google were doing this weird deal where you could get a free Google Home device if you had a KZbin Premium account and it sounded awesome and plus I had my fiancé youtube account connected to mine under the family plan so I was able to order two. I received mine first and I remember thinking this might replace my Echo dot but something felt off, I remember feel limited by it, I felt all I could do was play music, look up stuff, I didn't like the Wake up word or didn't like the voice but I remember seeing that with amazon devices you could add skills and do voiceless routines and connect it to my Speakers via 3.5mm jack and if I was bored, I could ask Alexa to play some music through my decent pc speakers instead of it's speaker. I remember ended up selling the both Google devices for around €40 just after Xmas and I didn't care that I didn't make much on them but I was just happy that I didn't have them sitting in the corner being useless. Imo Amazon wins the Smart Home race and it would take a miracle for Google to even catch up yet alone beat them

[@jervin2]

Vendors tend to leap over each other. One will be in the lead and then it's competitor leaps over with some sort of feature advance.

[@Alessandro---]

The only advantage of Google is that Amazon only works with Spotify Premium while Google streams my Spotify free ... sometimes... until there’s an ad ... and Spotify fails to recover.

[@campmanny1]

I ask Alexa if my bedroom lights (Hue) are on. Alexa: "bedroom lights don't support that". I ask google, I get an actual answer. Alexa can't compare to google. I have both and will probably be getting rid of Alexa.

[@dannydavies4881]

Can't really argue with this video there is ok thing good do perfect and it's how well Google home and chromecasts work with each other I'm either best or laziest daddy of the year but having the ability to put whatever my son wants on from every room in my house or my phone to any TV in my house or even control the hdmi or power is a winner for me!

[@BobbyB3rd]

Damn it Paul.. I thought I had my first Step in starting home automation all figured out.. now you're making me rethink again 😑😞🤪

[@michaelstarks7029]

You make some really good points, but I wouldn't count Google out yet. The reason, as you eluded to, is their ability to answer questions. It seems to me that's the hard stuff and they have a tremendous advantage here with search. The other stuff like improving routines is really child's play, as long as -- and this is the important part -- they can get their act together and get serious about it.