The 6 best smart speakers (2025): Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri

The Google Nest Hub for $100 is a great bedside speaker for Google Assistant users. The 7-inch display looks like a smartphone laying on its side instead of a huge smart display, and it has sleep tracking technology built into it to track your sleep without the need for any accessories on your body. useful! Plus there is no camera.

What about Alexa+?

Amazon has begun rolling out the new and improved Alexa, called Alexa+, after announcing it in February, though it’s still not yet available to all users. This second-generation Alexa voice assistant is more conversational, similar to the experience of AI assistants like ChatGPT, which isn’t surprising given that Alexa+ is built on generative AI. It does a better job of answering a variety of different questions and responds quickly to all types of requests. Check out more in my work with Alexa+.

It’s free in early access now on many devices, including the Echo Show. Once officially released, Alexa+ will be available for $20 per month, or free if you have an Amazon Prime membership. Although you’ll likely have a membership if you add an Alexa device to your home, it’s a big jump from the previous free assistant (and both versions will have less privacy).

Alexa+ will also require all voice recordings to be sent to Amazon to be processed, and Amazon will change its features for recordings with regular Alexa to go to Amazon as well. There was a “Do not send audio recordings” privacy feature that you could select to process voice requests locally, but that feature was discontinued in March. The privacy change will affect all users, whether you’ve signed up for Alexa+ or not, and regardless of whether you’re using a compatible device.

What about Gemini for Google Home?

Google has announced that Gemini for Home, the new version of its voice assistant, will be released in early access for existing Google Home users. It will eventually replace the current Google Assistant entirely, and is currently scheduled to be rolled out to almost all Google devices. One notable exception is the Pixel Tablet; Otherwise, Google’s current hardware reflects well in what Gemini for Home will be.

Unlike Alexa+, this new assistant will always be free. However, Google is changing its camera subscription, Nest Aware, to a Gemini for Home subscription that will have two tiers, Standard ($10 per month) and Advanced ($20 per month), replacing the Nest Aware and Nest Aware Plus subscriptions. This new subscription model will extend beyond cameras and include some advanced smart assistant features, including Gemini Live, a more conversational chat mode you can activate on a smart speaker, and automation features you won’t get in the basic Assistant. Advanced mode will also allow you to ask Gemini for video history, get notifications, AI descriptions, and a personalized summary at the end of the day called Home Summary. The Standard plan will have 30 days of video event history as well as smart alerts for its cameras, while the Advanced plan will have 60 days and 24/7 video history.