These smart speakers are both excellent devices for streaming music, enabling voice control for smart TVs, answering your questions and automating your home. Our Google Home vs Apple HomePod summary will help you make the best choice for you!
Google Home vs Apple HomePod
Which one is for you? We’ve summarized the following points to help you make a choice:
- Overall evaluation of each smart speaker
- Music streaming
- Comparing intelligence assistants
- Sound quality
- Smart Home controlling
- Range of services
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1. Overall evaluation of each smart speaker
When deciding whether to buy a Google Home or Apple HomePod, you should consider how you plan to use the device.
They both have the same sorts of features such as controlling parts of your smart home, playing music or answering your many questions. However they both have some differences in how they fulfill your demands and what tools and services they use to do so.
Google Home
- Has a multi-room audio option, allowing music to be played in several rooms at once.
- Extracts information from Google’s huge database.
- Provides voice control for smart TVs.
- Supports other various music apps such as Spotify and Pandora.
- Able to control many of the major smart home devices.
- Multi-user capability
Apple HomePod
- Limited information and actions compared to Google Home due to a smaller database.
- Provides voice control for smart TVs (but needs Apple TV as well)
- Lacks support for other streaming apps other than Apple Music.
- Best sound quality of all the smart speakers.
- Able to control many of the major smart home devices.
2. Music streaming
One of the biggest and best functions of a smart speaker is streaming music. Just asking your smart speaker to play some music rather than fiddling around yourself is so uplifting. They can stream music from virtually any music service you prefer. The difference is how much each device supports the service.
Google Home
- Google Play Music and YouTube music is supported, which is not found in any other smart speakers.
- Support for Spotify and other third-party music services.
- No Apple Music support.
Apple HomePod
- Fully supports Apple Music.
- Airplay is used to stream other services.
- Lacks support for any other services other than Apple Music.
For this function, your preferred service should guide your decision as specific support is limited in each device.
3. Comparing intelligence assistants
Intelligence assistants listen for your questions and responds with the answer. It is a big factor in deciding which smart speaker you prefer and is best for you.
Google Home
- Uses the Google Assistant.
- Extracts info from Google’s database (very wide range of info so is very good at answering your questions).
- Supports third-party apps.
- All Google Homes respond to “Ok Google”.
Apple HomePod
- Uses Siri.
- Apple HomePod responds to “Hey Siri”
- Siri is clever enough to only have the correct device answer you.
- Siri is more limited than the Google Assistant when it comes to information and fulfilling tasks because of the smaller database.
- Doesn’t allow third-party apps on device apart from occasional iPhone app that can be added.
Google Home is better as an intelligent assistant as it can perform a wider set of actions and has access to a much larger variety of information.
4. Sound quality
The range of music services shouldn’t be the only thing to consider; the quality of the sound is another thing you should be checking out.
Google Home
- Multi-room audio can be accessed (Google Home devices can play the same audio in sync).
- Lower sound quality than the HomePod
Apple HomePod
- Best sound quality out of all smart speakers.
- No need to shout as Siri can hear you even when music is at high volume.
The HomePod has put streaming music as its first priority, and the smart speaker features second, hence the sound quality is amazing.
5. Smart Home Controlling
Both HomePod and Google Home can help in making your home more automated and smarter. You can control smart home gadgets by simply asking them.
It can help perform tasks such as lowering or raising the air-conditioner temperature, turning off the lights, and controlling your TV. All done by your voice commands.
Google Home
- Controls major smart home devices
- Supports Chromecast
Apple HomePod
- Controls major smart home devices
Both smart speakers work with most of the major smart home devices. It also depends on what sort of gadgets you have purchased as smart devices compatible with each smart speaker may vary.
6. Range of services
Another factor to consider is the full range of services provided by each smart speaker.
Google Home
- Compatibility and access to lots of Google services and devices, such as Chromecast.
- No connection to Apple Services
Apple HomePod
- Compatibility and access to Apple services like Apple Music, iCloud, and iMessage
- Doesn’t connect to Google services
If you have and prefer Apple products such as iPhone and Apple TV etc, Apple HomePod will work with them easily. While Google and Android fans will find that Google Home provides the best experience.
In Summary
Google Home vs Apple HomePod: Both have amazing features focusing on particular parts of the smart speaker experience. But when comparing them closely, it turns out that Google Home could provide a better experience, with advanced features, supporting third-party apps and services, multi-user options, and a vast range of information.
If you prefer a smart speaker that focuses mostly on streaming and playing music, Apple HomePod is the one for you. But if you are looking for a more intelligent device with a selection of services and features, Google Home is the one.
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I hope you found our Google Home vs Apple HomePod comparison useful. You may also be interested in OLED vs QLED.