Apple, Amazon and
Google At War!
Three
tech giants that have never tasted failure will have a savage battle soon that
only one can win
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.
Google
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 allnew 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.
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!
MEET THE CONTENDERS
1. The Apple HomePod is
being positioned as a serious audiophile audio speaker first and then a digital
assistant.
2. Amazon Echo Look has a
camera that can take selfies on command.
3. With the Apple
HomePod, Siri will now become a ‘musicologist ’ .
4. Google Home came in
strong, but didn’t offer anything new.
Rajiv Makhni
hindustantimes.com/brunch.
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