Google's voice-powered assistant is now compatible with 5,000 devices. Showing that Google is growing its ecosystem to compete with Amazon's Alexa, which is has 12,000 can work with smart home devices from over 2,000 brands. Google Assistant can be accessed using smartphones, Google Home smart speakers, Wear OS devices and Chromebooks.
“Over the past year, we’ve made great progress ensuring that the Google Assistant can work with all types of connected devices, and now every major device brand works with the Assistant in the U.S.,” Google’s Michele Turner writes. She notes that the smart devices with which Google Assistant is compatible include “cameras, dishwashers, doorbells, dryers, lights, plugs, thermostats, security systems, switches, vacuums, washers, fans, locks, sensors, heaters, AC units, air purifiers, refrigerators, ovens [and more].”
The race to dominate the smart home and assistant-powered market is definitely on. In Canada, Google Home has been available for close to two years with Google Home and Google Home mini devices available freely. Amazon entered the market late last year but has been relentless with various smart speaker products and even the new Amazon Echo Spot, a speaker with a display to play videos, work as a VoIP camera.
Google and Amazon seem to have cornered the market, not just in devices and smart speakers but by the range of skills and actions that enable users to control smart home appliances. Now it is up to device manufacturers to decide who they want to support or, even better, find a way to be open to both ecosystems so consumers can enjoy the freedom of choice.
Source: Thurrott.com