If you are a war junkie, a battle hound, a combat aficionado, then you’ve just hit bullseye. A battle is about to commence that is going to be savage, and will take no prisoners. A battle between three of the world’s biggest and most successful companies that have almost never tasted failure. This time, only one can win. Let’s meet the contenders as well as the all-new category in which the bloodshed must commence.
Apple
The all-time king of the product and innovation world, the company that makes even mediocre products look like god’s gift to mankind, needs a hit in this category as some of its product lines are starting to look old.
The search emperor, the company that destroys the competition wherever its gaze turns, hasn’t had too much success in the product field, but is getting serious about it.
Amazon
The retail lord of the world is carefully but constantly killing the competition, innovating and executing with the precision of an assassin, and is slowly building up an excellent line of products that are super successful.
The product
Those are the contenders. Now, on to the product category. It’s the all- new Sound and Seek category. Speakers with built-in digital assistant intelligence. A product that has an array of microphones as well as the smarts to be able to respond, react, and obey all voice commands. They can play music, read an audio book, add a calendar item, set up a shopping list, control your home automation and lighting, and do it all while sitting in your room. Hey Google, Alexa and Siri are on standby to unleash the biggest war the technology industry has seen in a long time.
{{/usCountry}}Those are the contenders. Now, on to the product category. It’s the all- new Sound and Seek category. Speakers with built-in digital assistant intelligence. A product that has an array of microphones as well as the smarts to be able to respond, react, and obey all voice commands. They can play music, read an audio book, add a calendar item, set up a shopping list, control your home automation and lighting, and do it all while sitting in your room. Hey Google, Alexa and Siri are on standby to unleash the biggest war the technology industry has seen in a long time.
{{/usCountry}}The preamble
Amazon, with its Echo line up, started this category and is currently the leader. Google, with its Google Home product line followed, and Apple has just announced its new headline maker HomePod. Market estimates rate this category as a rival of the phone industry. Eventually we all will have one or more of these. In the speaker-encased digital assistant market, eventually only one will dominate. Here’s how these companies are differentiating themselves.
Echo
Amazon has played its Echo hand well. It has great design and multiple options, including the Echo Dot priced at USD 50 and the Echo Look, which comes with a camera that can take selfies on command and offer fashion advice. Also, Alexa – the voice assistant within – will now be available in cars, on phones, in robots, toys and educational products.
Home
Google Home came in strong but didn’t do enough to differentiate or offer anything dramatically new. It did connect the audio and sound part to the TV and Video world – but hasn’t pushed the envelope. Yet, the Google Home is a very strong offering. Rumours of the next generation coming out with a screen and low pricing makes them a serious contender.
Pod
The Apple HomePod is being positioned as a serious audiophile audio speaker first and then a digital assistant. That’s smart, as Apple is late to the game and needs a differentiator. The other unique thing is that Siri is being tweaked to become a ‘musicologist’. Considering the pricing (at USD 349) and positioning, the HomePod has a long battle ahead.
Battle ahead
Apple still has about six months to get its HomePod strategy and features right. By that time, Amazon will have at least two new products, and rumours are strong that one of them will be an Audiophile-level JBL partnership product at under USD 200. Google Home 2, with its screen and its direct connection to a TV, will turn this market on its head. Hey Google, Alexa, Siri, do you have any idea who will win?
Even the big three have just one answer – Absolute Silence!
Rajiv Makhni is managing editor, Technology, NDTV, and the anchor of Gadget Guru, Cell Guru and Newsnet 3
From HT Brunch, June 18, 2017
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