I was one of the first Echo users.
I like the voice quality of Echo
I also like the look of Echo and the rotating blue light, and the home automation ability, BUT...
I wish one of these two gadgets could make and take phone calls either on their own using some sort of VOIP or thru integration with your cell phone.
I'd love to just sit there and say "ALEXA, CALL FRED".
Or when the phone rings say "ALEXA, ANSWER CALL".
Or "ALEXA, DIAL 123 456 7890".
Some may not realize the ECHO can read books off your Audible.com list, or read the kids a story.
And I would LOVE to have an Echo type thingy in my car so I could just ask while driving around lost "ALEXA, exactly where the hell is Pizza Hut?".
Or, "ALEXA, guide me to the nearest Mobile gas station".
And Siri won't do it. Siri is one dumb broad.
Home control with Alexa is a bit of a pain to set up but once achieved it works really well.
But I like the ability of Google Home to integrate with chromecast (even though I don't have anything chromecast).
A lot of this stuff, google home and the echo, have a lot of potential but slow with implementation.
Home automation was a huge plus, especially the idea of walking into a dark house and saying "alexa, lights on" and all devices you grouped under the name "lights on" will turn on.
And when I leave the house I will say ALEXA, PLAY JAZZ or PLAY CHRISTMAS MUSIC to entertain the doggies. Then the dogs won't feel so alone.
I like the Google Home ability to redirect a command to a second or third Google Home device in some other room. Echo can not do that if you have more than one Echo.
I like the idea you can tell Google Home to "play jazz in the living room", or if a kid is asleep and you want to wake them up and they have a Google Home in their room, to say "ok google, play hard rock in Fred's room".
Again, Echo can not do any of that.
But what I really want out of these devices as my #1 wish list is the ability to make and take phone calls .
Heck, I would pay extra for some dedicated VOIP service linked to the device.
Say that if Amazon offered its own VOIP-Echo linked phone service, or the same with Google and Google Home. I'd pay for that.
I see a lot of potential in both devices, Echo has some advantages over Google Home, and Google Home some advantages over Echo.
Damn....
I guess I will just have to buy and try both.
I already have 3 Echo's but we always have eBay should Google Home take the lead over Echo.
I do not want to repurchase all new home control devices that interact with Google Home. I already spent enough buying the WeMo devices for the Echo.
No way I will repurchase new home automation devices for the Google Home.
And we know, we all just know that somewhere Apple and a ton of others are busy building their own devices to compete with Amazon and Google.
I have this bad feeling that just as with power adaptors, we will have a ton of home interaction devices where none are compatible with the other.
Or not compatible with home automation devices in general.
If you own Echo, you will need their home automation devices, and if you own Google Home you will need only Google Home compatible devices.
And add to that future home interaction devices from Apple, Yahoo, Roku, Sony, Samsung, etc etc etc.