Smart Speaker

A Smart Speaker is a Wi-Fi enabled speaker that often serves as the central hub and control point for other devices in a Smart Home. Smart Speakers remain connected to the internet and have a digital virtual assistant like Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, etc. installed that can be controlled with voice using the device’s microphone. With access to a virtual assistant, ask a Smart Speaker to provide the weather, put together a shopping list, play or stream music and connect to other devices over the Wi-Fi network.

Smart Lights can be controlled by a Smart Speaker to switch on or off, dim or brighten them and change the colour or hue. A Wi-Fi connected Air Conditioner can be activated and adjusted without having to get up or reach for the remote. The same can be done for some Smart TVs, Smart Ovens, Smart Fridges and more. Virtual assistants can be used for a wide variety of tasks and get better at recognizing a user's voice and anticipating needs over time.

Bluetooth Speakers are rechargeable and designed to be easy to carry for Portable music listening. They connect with Media Players like a Smartphone via Bluetooth and play the audio being played on the paired device. Because Audio files are sent over Bluetooth which has limited bandwidth, there is some loss in audio quality due to file compression.

Smart Speakers connect to the internet to play audio directly from streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube Music and other audio libraries. They do not require a separate paired device to play the audio and they play without loss of quality. Smart Speakers also have virtual assistants built in that can perform a variety of functions and will allow voice control over other devices on a Wi-Fi network.

Smart Speakers lack the portability of Bluetooth Speakers as they require a Wi-Fi connection to function and most models do not have a built-in battery. Portable Smart Speakers work as both a Smart Speaker and Portable Bluetooth Speaker.

Smart Speakers have built-in digital voice assistants that can respond to commands. This feature works by detecting voice using a built-in microphone. Because the device is always online and listening for voice commands, many people have wondered what data our Smart Speakers are collecting and whether they are recording our conversations.

Smart Speakers are always listening, but this should not be mistaken for ‘always recording.’ They only listen for keywords that will activate them to begin responding to verbal instructions and requests. Once activated the device begins recording the commands it's given which gets uploaded to a remote cloud server. Smart Speakers get better at recognizing personal vocal patterns and anticipating wants and needs by uploading your voice to the server, where algorithms interpret words and phrases with multiple accents and at varying speech clarity.

The key variables to consider when shopping for a Smart Speaker are audio quality, size and price. Digital virtual assistants from Google, Alexa and Siri will work just as well as the others as long as they are kept updated with the latest updates. Consider the compatibility of a Smart Speaker’s assistant with other smart home devices, as some items may not be compatible with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Apple HomeKit.

If you already have a good sound system then choose to save some money on a lower audio quality Smart Speaker. If the sound system is Wi-Fi enabled it maybe able to pair with a Smart Speaker to stream and control audio on the sound system using voice commands. Many Smart Speakers can be paired with other Smart Speakers for stereo output.

Smart Displays combine a Smart Speaker with an additional Tablet like touchscreen and built-in camera. These are great for displaying photos, streaming video or making video calls. In addition to voice control, these also feature touch controls for manual navigation.