Google launched Google Home, the direct rival of Amazon Echo

Amazon Echo is the most remarkable product of 2015, and of course Google can't stand still watching Jeff Bezos smile.

Just last year, the tech world was shocked to see the launch of Amazon Echo. Now, it is Google's turn to follow the trend and launch products that compete with Amazon: Google Home , expected to be released later this year, the price has not been determined.

Behind this project is Mario Queiroz, vice president of product management at Google, who has released the only in-room technology product to succeed: Chromecast.

Home is Echo's direct competitor.

And now, Home is Queiroz's next step. Basically, Home is Echo's direct competitor. It's a small speaker that you can mount on the wall, "always listening, always understanding" whenever you speak. It will answer your questions, play music and can control some household items. According to Queiroz, Home will do these things better than Echo.

Basically, it's a nice device

The relatively small home, beveled top, looks pretty cute. Like Google's router, OnHub (the product should be able to do it like Google Home if Google is more invested), Home also has an external cover, the removable form you can change the color to match the tone. color room. It also has a 4-color LED to indicate whether the status is active.

Queiroz emphasizes "the sound of Home can cover the entire room", "heavy bass and clear high sound". This is important because one of the most important purposes of this product is to listen to music - Echo is not very good at this.

Google Home is designed with the thought of being suitable for many rooms, multiple speakers at the same time.

Another weakness of Echo: only one is enough, more good. Meanwhile, Google Home is designed with the idea of ​​suitable for many rooms, multiple speakers at the same time . And because they all share the same standard, you can talk to any speaker to request music on the remaining ones, just like with Google Cast Audio. It can work with Google Play Music, but can also handle any service that supports Google Cast, for example Spotify.

Many rooms, but do not support multiple accounts

The compatibility with Cast helps Home have an extra smart function: It can "talk" to the Chromecast device you connect to the TV, play videos on YouTube and whatever you require. The bad news is that Home does not support multiple Google accounts at the same time, but the company promises to fix it in the future.

Of course, Home allows you to ask Google questions. Queiroz said Google invested a lot of effort to think how Google Home will answer you. Its answer will be fine-tuned, giving enough information without being too rambling.

Scalability and compatibility with Home's other devices and services is not equal to Echo.

However, there is a Home point that cannot be equal to Echo - scalability and compatibility with other devices and services. Google has not yet opened the API for virtual assistants as well as the device itself with third-party developers. Instead, Google wants to spend time building its own way of communication so that virtual assistants can transact between you and the bot.

Queiroz admits that Echo can do a lot of things but "when you start to show more profoundness, it doesn't work very well, you will be disappointed. I think this happens occasionally with Alexa ( Echo's virtual assistant) ".

Google Home will work with a set of automated devices, including thermometers and lights, although Google does not say what these devices are. And they can do all that virtual assistant Google can do (even more). Fortunately, that is more than enough. For example, if you ask the number of a basketball player, Google can give you the answer and be prepared to prepare a series of related questions without you having to lead it through specific situations.

Google Home will work with the same set of automated devices.

There are no 3rd party features like Echo that can make Google Home less hot, but Queiroz believes there is nothing to worry about: "We are competing for every feature in every area. And In areas that users consider necessary, we will do better. "