Video Editor: Puneet Bhatia
Cameraperson: Shiv Kumar
Smart display-based voice assistants are breaking into the Indian market at a slow pace and as newer models are being introduced, they seem to be getting more practical. Take the Amazon Echo Show 5 for example.
The reduction in size and extra security features make it much more practical than the earlier Amazon Echo Show, which didn’t really win many hearts in India.
Seeing smaller displays work on smart assistants, Google has also launched the Google Nest Hub in India, which has been priced at Rs 9,999. That’s about Rs 1,000 more than the Echo Show 5.
The big question here is which of the two is better?
We did a little experiment where we asked both an Echo Show 5 user and a Google Hub user to perform a series of tasks with their respective smart devices to test the utility of these devices.
In a nutshell, the new Nest Hub from Google comes with a 7-inch touchscreen display, but surprisingly doesn’t offer a camera. It is compatible with the Google ecosystem and also supports apps like YouTube, Maps and even Google Duo for voice calling.
The biggest advantage the Next Hub has over the Show 5 is that with the Hub you will be able to control smart home devices, which you cannot with the Echo Show 5.
The Amazon Echo Show 5 comes with a 5-inch touchscreen display and offers a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a USB 2.0 with the device. In terms of utility, it comes with a camera for video calls and also offers the user the ability to shop for groceries and even electronics, just by voice commands.
Google does have the advantage over the Echo with it’s diverse ecosystem, but Amazon isn’t going to back down that easily. Check out the video as we have a go with both the devices and find out which one comes out the victor.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)