The Top 3 Voice Assistants of 2020
Notably, voice assistants have become integrated in homes, offices, and businesses alike. In particular, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri are the frontrunners. All in all, each have their own pros and cons. With regards to their functionality, we’ve listed a brief description of each.
First, the Amazon Alexa is the most user-friendly of all voice assistants. Further, the latest Echo speaker (pictured above) features 360-degree sound. As for portability, this speaker is ultra light and convenient for alarm clocks, timers, news, and more.
Next, Google Assistant is the direct competitor of the Echo. Like the aforementioned, this speaker is compact and easily fills small and medium-sized rooms. Furthermore, it can search Google, set timers, and play music, to name a few of its features.
Last, the Apple HomePod Mini works with Apple Music. Unfortunately, if you don’t have other Apple devices, this one is quite limited compared to its competitors. Ultimately, it’s quite pricey for not a lot of functions.
Benefits of Voice Assistants
Depending on what features you are looking for in a voice assistant, you may prefer one brand over another. For instance, do you want a touchscreen in addition to voice assistance? Likewise, do you want it to connect to other devices? Still, even at lower tiers, there are positives and negatives to VUI ownership.
Pros and Cons of Voice Assistants
Not only are personal assistants good for those looking for a more hands-free cooking experience, they are also becoming more accessible for users with visual impairments.
The Pros
On the subject of telephony, voice user interfaces (VUIs), enable users to speak on the phone without putting it to your ear. Additionally, you can place and receive calls without touching a button. In other words, these devices are hands-free.
With regard to transportation, you can communicate verbally with Google Maps and ask it to direct you to your destination.
Google Home and the Alexa Echo have the ability to control over 1K smart home products. We aren’t just talking lighting – this includes kettles, the microwave, thermostats, and more.
Each time you make a voice search, you’re training yourself how to talk to a computer in a way it will understand you. Surprisingly, this can benefit you in the future if you have robot or automated, digital job interviews.
Voice recognition devices can translate what is said in a foreign language into one that you can understand. Now, when preparing to go abroad, you don’t have to memorize “where is the bathroom?”
The Cons
Clearly, in some cases, the pros outweigh the cons. But, that isn’t to say that there aren’t any. Besides the price, privacy concerns are also of utmost importance to some users.
Smart home devices are expensive and consume a lot of electricity. The more you have, the higher your electricity bill will be. Cost alone is one of the top reasons voice assistants are not more widely used.
When listening to instructions from a virtual assistant and trying to perform a task, it is easy to make mistakes. Even more, it can reduce your concentration and short-term memory.
Are Voice Assistants Safe?
Lastly, voice assistants are still in their early years, and only time will tell what new tasks they can assist you with. In response to several privacy complaints by groups such as Cambridge Analytica, manufacturers are now offering better privacy controls.
In Conclusion
As a final point, regularly using a virtual assistant can lead to lost concentration and divided attention. Subsequently, with the latter, it can lead to more mistakes. In contrast, used in moderation, virtual assistants can increase efficiency and save time. In any case, moderation is key. Questions? Comments? Let us know.
Resources & Further Reading
Hall, P. (2020, November 26). The Best Smart Speakers With Alexa and Google Assistant. Retrieved December 06, 2020, from https://www.wired.com/story/best-smart-speakers/
Kelley, S. (2020, October 26). The Pros and Cons of Digital Personal Assistants. Retrieved December 06, 2020, from https://visionaware.org/everyday-living/helpful-products/using-a-computer/comparing-digital-personal-assistants/
Vakhnenko, H. (2019). Virtual Assistant Apps: Benefits and Abilities: Agilie app development company blog. Retrieved December 06, 2020, from https://agilie.com/en/blog/virtual-assistant-apps-benefits-and-abilities
Webmaster. (2019, November 29). The 12 Advantages and Disadvantages of Voice User Interface. Retrieved December 06, 2020, from https://www.techulator.com/resources/18784-the-12-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-voice-user-interface