Battle Of The Titans: Amazon Echo vs. Google Home vs.

Apple 1

Battle Of The Titans: Amazon Echo vs. Google Home vs. Apple

Caleb Saylors

Department of Business Administration, Averett University

BSA310: Principles of Marketing

Mr. Benjamin Potter

February 8, 2021
Battle Of The Titans: Amazon Echo vs. Google Home vs. Apple 2

Abstract

The newest battleground for the tech giants is being fought over smart home devices. The

Amazon Echo hit shelves back in 2014, while the Google Home did not hit the market until

2017, and soon after the Apple HomePod was released in January 2018. These smart speakers all

have similar functions, with some notable differences in the quality of the services they provide.

Perhaps the biggest differences is how “smart” these devices really are when it comes to

responding to users’ requests. All in all these three devices are very similar with different price

tags and very little different key functions.

Keywords: Apple, Google. Amazon, Senses, Components, Conversion Rate

Battle Of The Titans: Amazon Echo vs. Google Home vs. Apple 3

Battle Of The Titans: Amazon Echo vs. Google Home vs. Apple

The main conclusion for this paper is these smart speakers all have similar functions, with some

notable differences in the quality of the services they provide. It seems out of all 3 of these

products, the Google Home looks to be the best smart device out as of now. The main reasons for

this conclusion are:

● Search Engines

● Audio Systems/Speakers

● Compatibility Settings

● Prices

Consumer Decision

​I would look at making this purchase through a functional need. I already have a

Google speaker at home so during my informational search I would compare the benefits

other than the sound quality and music options between the smart home devices. Seeing that

Google Home has a more accurate search engine, it interests me more than the Amazon Echo.

However, during the step of evaluation, I noticed that Amazon has a $70 cheaper option called

the Amazon Dot, so with that knowledge I would probably lean a little more towards the

Amazon Dot. Unfortunately, I probably still would not actually make the purchase because I do

not need a smart home device at this time.

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Four Determinate Attributes

Device Search Speakers Compatibility Appearance Total

Engine

Amazon 5 6 10 6 27/40

Google 10 8 5 9 32/40

Apple 5 8 5 5 23/40
If I had to buy a product again, it would still be the Google home device. For obvious

reasons it seems to be the better device, it fits my needs and wants that I would like to have in a

smart device.

Greatest Impact

The device features that I believe would have the biggest impact on a consumer purchase

would be the search engine and the compatibility settings. ​Google Home stores your search and

activity history to make your experience with them more relevant, smarter and faster.

Compatibility settings with the Google Home allows up to six users per device, meaning each

user gets personalized responses rather than sharing accessGoogle Home uses its voice

recognition to differentiate between users​. If you want a more compatibility related device, go

with an Alexa-enabled device. Alexa currently works with over 60,000 smart home devices.

Google Assistant currently works with more than 30,000 products.

Risk Factors

The main concern among product consumers when it comes to smart home devices is the

degree to which they are listening. They obviously listen for any commands the user might utter,

but people are most worried about the private information that these devices could put at risk.
Battle Of The Titans: Amazon Echo vs. Google Home vs. Apple 5

Smart speakers become activated with a “wake word”. For the Echo, it’s “Alexa,” and for the

Google Home, it’s “OK Google”. After hearing the wake word, the smart speaker starts

analyzing whatever comes after it. But to catch the wake word, smart speakers have to keep their

microphone active at all times, which is why they call them “always listening” devices. ​Those

who choose to use this type of technology can’t and shouldn’t expect 100% privacy. If not for

the ability of Amazon Echo and Google Home to listen, these products would become nothing

more than door stoppers and paperweights to keep on hand. To help a customer resolve their

postpurchase dissonance a seller will probably inform the customer about the positives of the

smart home product. The seller would most likely inform the consumer of the ​biggest advantage

that the Google Home or Amazon Echo has over other smart home devices. The biggest

advantage the Google Home has is that it has access to the entirety of Google's Knowledge

Graph. This means it can access millions of facts and will likely be able to answer any question

that Google on a desktop would be able to.​Companies may take advantage of data-driven

knowledge to invest in innovations leading towards a sustainable society. Meanwhile the Echo

can make calls to your family and friends who have Echo supported devices at any time.
Battle Of The Titans: Amazon Echo vs. Google Home vs. Apple 6

References

Grewal, D., & Levy, M. (2007). Chapter 6 : Consumer Behaviour. In ​Marketing​ (p. 175 - 209).

Dubuque: McGraw-Hill Education.