Voice controllers have grown inpopularity over the years, from science fiction-styled voice assistants featured in movies, voice controllers are now part of our reality. From the moment we wake up, our breakfast toast can be cooked automatically as we get ready, to having our blinds lowered automatically when we head to bed, voice-controlled automation has become imbued into almost every element of our lives.
There are many voice controllerbrands available in the market today, with notable brands such as Google, Alexa, Siri, XiaoAi, and Bixby taking the lion's share of the consumer base. It has revolutionised how we interact with technology and made it easier to get tasks done.
Each of these brands has carved out its audience and brand style. So, which brand should you go with?
We list down some important features such as functionality and languages offered amongst the top voice controllers for you to decide.
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Functionality (Information Searches and tasks)
Before we start, note that all of the assistants on this list today can perform all of the tasks mentioned: set alarms, timers, reminders, phone calls, launch applications, and send texts.
Instead, we will focus more on the information searches and complex tasks that these voice-controlled assistants can do and find.
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Google can handle almost any voice task requested. Google Assistant can also answer any questions you throw at it since Google's main business is its search engine.
A short test conducted by Marques Brownlee found that Google Assistant answers questions the quickest out of its competitors (Siri, Alexa and Bixby). Furthermore, Google Assistant can follow more intricate commands.
For example, if it is tasked to record a video, it will follow every step as mentioned by you. If you ask Google Assistant to open the newest episode of a TV series you are watching right now, it will take you through all of the steps so you can watch the show without clicking or finding it manually.
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Siri
Siri can handle simple questions and commands requested, but when asked a more complex question, its search engine has greater difficulty finding the right answer. There are instances where Siri appears to stop and lag momentarily before answering your question.
The short test found that Siri answers almost as quickly as Google Assistant, but most of its information comes from Wikipedia. This is not bad per se, but Wikipedia's depth of knowledge is unable to compete with Google's resources.
Siri also struggled with intricate command sets where, unlike Google, it could not record a video or launch the newest episodes of a tv series from Netflix. Instead, it only opened the app and stopped there, forcing you to manually find the episodes instead.
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Bixby
Bixby can handle as many questions and commands as Google Assistant. Bixby boasts a variety of impressive integrations, an area that Samsung has specifically sought to capitalise on
with its voice assistant.
Bixby can follow intricate commands similar to Google Assistant, like recording a video or launching an app to watch a TV show. The only downside of Bixby is that it's solely available on Samsung devices, whereas Google Assistant can operate on a range of platforms such as Android, Chrome, Wear OS or through its app for iPhone and iPad.
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Alexa
It is ironic that Alexa was the first voice assistant in the market, but has struggled to keep up with newer competitors today.
Alexa was the first mover in the realm of voice assistants which is a merit in itself. However, when asked complex questions and to perform complex tasks like taking a selfie or starting a voice recording, Alexa did not perform as well as Google Assistant and in some instances, Bixby to perform the tasks.
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XiaoAI
One of the newest contenders in the voice controller market is Xiaomi's Xiao AI. A product that has been ten years in the making, the voice assistant is currently only available in China but there are plans for expansion to the rest of the world.
Xiao AI is a great voice assistant as it works within the entire Xiaomi ecosystem. Xiao AI is not only able to answer simple questions but it can integrate with all Xiaomi home appliances (similar
to Alexa integrating with Amazon devices or Siri with Apple devices) and even clock in at work or translate something almost simultaneously.
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Languages
If you compare the number of languages supported by each voice assistant, Siri comes out at the top as it currently supports 21 languages, while Xiao AI comes in last place as it is currently only available in Mandarin.
For more details on the different languages supported by each voice assistant refer to the list below:
Siri currently supports 21 languages:
Arabic, Cantonese, Danish, Dutch,Finnish, English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Mandarin, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, and Turkish
Google Assistant supports 12languages:
Danish, Dutch, English, French,German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Spanish, and Swedish.
Alexa currently supports8 languages:
English, French, German, Hindi,Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Bixby currently supports3 languages:
Korean, US English, and SimplifiedChinese
XiaoAI currently supportsonly mandarin.
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The Home A Genius Difference
Home-A-Genius gives you the flexibility to use Google, Alexa and Siri all at once; allowing
different family members to use their favourite voice controllers in their respective rooms. Additionally, Home-A-Genius allows homeowners to set up rules in a single-rule engine, creating a simple, user-friendly experience for everyone in the family.
