There's a lot that goes into making a good smart speaker—manufacturers need to worry about compatibility, design, sound quality, and more. Whether you're planning on buying one for the first time or upgrading your existing speaker, picking one out of the dozens of options is not easy.
A good smart speaker is one that sounds good, looks decent, and doesn't cause unnecessary headaches due to buggy software. Yet, a bad smart speaker is the exact opposite of all that. We will outline a number of key factors that you should go over whenever you're looking for a smart speaker.
1. Voice Assistant
The first order of business is to decide between Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. There are other voice assistants out there, but these three are the major players. Unfortunately, Siri is somewhat behind Alexa and Google Assistant. It can perform the basic tasks you would expect it to, but it struggles with overall responsiveness, language processing, and keeping up with follow-up questions.
Alexa is the most widely available assistant in smart speakers. This availability also makes it the most compatible with other smart home devices. However, Google Assistant is by far the smartest voice assistant. Alexa is pretty much up there as well, but Google Assistant is better when it comes to answering random questions quickly and accurately. You can't go wrong with Google Assistant or Alexa.
If you're locked into the Apple ecosystem, you may also be able to make a case for Siri as it does well in integrating with Apple devices.
2. Sound Quality
While sound quality is important to consider, your choice of a smart speaker should also reflect the genre you listen to. For instance, if you enjoy EDM and hip-hop music, then you should go with a smart speaker that focuses more on bass and has a good woofer. A smart speaker's audio quality also depends on how well it sounds at higher volumes.
A low-quality speaker will produce distorted sounds at high volumes. This can be avoided by choosing a smart speaker that offers good power handling, a wide frequency response, and a decent signal-to-noise ratio.
If you listen to podcasts more, then you should buy a smart speaker that comes with a good midrange driver for better vocal clarity. It's hard to figure out all of this by just looking at a spec sheet, so we recommend looking for reviews for every smart speaker that's on your list.
3. Compatibility and Integration
Compatibility entirely depends on your existing smart home gadgets and the devices you use in your daily life. If you're an Apple user, then going with the HomePod couldn't be a better choice. The setup process is intuitive, Apple Music integration is flawless, and there are a number of other great pros of the HomePod.
On the other hand, most smart home gadgets are compatible with the Amazon ecosystem. This gives Alexa smart speakers an edge over the competition as you get more smart gadgets to choose from.
The same goes for Google Assistant speakers as well. They work best with Google Home devices and dozens of them are out there. You'll be stuck with your smart speaker for a while, so make sure it’s compatible with your existing smart home devices.
4. Design and Style
Look around the room you're planning to use the smart speaker in and think whether it will fit into the theme or not. A good smart speaker should always complement the aesthetic of your room. You want to look out for the color options, size, and materials used in the smart speaker.
Durability is also important, but it depends on where you're going to place your smart speaker. If you're going to take it with you outside, look out for dust and water resistance. Of course, these features might not matter much if the speaker is just going to sit in a room all day.
5. Portability and Battery Life
Portability and battery life are important if you plan to go out with your smart speaker. A portable smart speaker should be lightweight with a small form factor. It should also have straps or handles for easy carrying.
It's also important to look out for battery life and charging time. However, you should know that the more you focus on portability and battery life, the more likely you are to lose out on the audio quality. Remember that if you want a smart speaker for outdoor use, you'll be stuck with either Google Assistant or Alexa. Apple doesn't make a smart speaker for the outdoors.
6. Privacy and Security
It is best to go with a smart speaker that offers a physical mute switch. This will reduce privacy concerns but will also stop your smart speaker from unnecessary triggers. You should also look out for good voice recognition that only responds to authorized voices.
Smart speakers are constantly listening for the trigger word. They also have control over your other smart devices.Finally, make sure the speaker has strong privacy settings that allow you to control what data is collected.
7. Pricing and Value
The key to buying the best smart speaker is research, lots of research. Outline your budget to determine how much you can spend on it. After that, go through the speakers that fall within your budget and work with your preferred voice assistant.
This way, you will have a list of potential smart speakers that you can afford. Cut down the list further by removing the speakers that don't offer the audio quality or the portability that you need.
Once you have a few options to choose from, think about compatibility, ease of use, and advanced features such as temperature and lighting control for your home. The goal is to evaluate the overall value of the speaker you're purchasing. By going through these steps, you will know exactly which smart speaker is the best bang for the buck within your budget.
Making a Sound Decision
Any product can be easy to buy if you know what to look for—the case for smart speakers isn't different. A good point to start is to consider what your main device is, what your use case is, and what you are prepared to spend. Then, once you've cut down to a few good options, reading or watching reviews from hardware experts is the way to go before you check out.