As more technology users depend on a voice assistant to carry out tasks, many companies have realized that a good voice assistant app can make or break their product. Voice assistants are often called upon to look up basic information, search content on Netflix or Hulu, connect with friends and family, and entertain. There are numerous voice assistants, including Alexa by Amazon, Cortana by Microsoft, Google Assistant by Google/Android, and Siri by Apple. Each has their strengths and weaknesses, which will be compared in this article. It should be noted that when choosing a product (for example, iPhone versus Google Pixel), users will be stuck with the virtual assistant integrated into the product. While there are many aspects to consider when choosing a new product, the functionality of the voice assistant can be an important consideration.
The Best Voice Assistant Apps, From Alexa To Siri
Alexa by Amazon
One of the most integrated voice assistants, Alexa has been pushing the bar on what a voice assistant should be able to do. Alexa helps users complete many tasks on Echo devices (Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show, etc.) as well as the Amazon Fire TV. Amazon opened up Alexa to other developers, so she can now be found on many smart appliances and even in vehicles. Echo devices can be used to integrate and control smart home appliances and devices like the Nest or Phillips Hue. For more information, a helpful guide is available: The Amazon Alexa app: everything you need to know.
Cortana by Microsoft
Cortana is available on most newer Windows platforms, Xbox One, and Windows phones. Although Cortana falls behind most other assistants in functionality, it is one of the few that is available to help users on a laptop (Siri can help on iOS Mac, but only with the latest update). One potential drawback of Cortana is that it relies exclusively on Bing for its Internet searches. Compared to Google, Bing falls short in its scope and reliability, and was recently dropped as the primary search engine used by Apple’s Siri.
Google Assistant by Google/Android
Google Assistant, released in May 2016, is the youngest but best of the assistants. It is often similar to Siri in terms of functionality, but as a voice assistant app, it utilizes all the functions of Google including Google Maps, Gmail, and Google Search Engine. The voice assistant is available on many Android devices and on smart watches that utilize Android Wear as a platform.
Siri by Apple
The grandmother of virtual assistant apps, Siri was released for the iPhone 4S in 2011. With its early release, Siri faced some learning issues, but had a large advantage of being able to collect data from users to improve its functionality. Today, Siri is on par with Google Assistant, however it is held back largely by its reliance on its own platforms including Apple maps and Apple mail. Siri often has difficulty understanding users and relies too heavily on its search engine, rather than understanding when users want to send an email or get directions somewhere. For more on Siri, there is a helpful guide: Siri: everything you need to know.
Future of Voice Assistant Apps
Considering how much progress has been made in just a few short years, consumers could see a whole new side to voice assistant apps just 5 to 10 years in the future. There are obvious improvements that will likely occur like assistants improving with use and learning their user’s voices (Alexa is currently the best at this, so far). The biggest leap that many companies are trying to make is to create an assistant that is capable of having a back and forth conversation with its user. Some warn that people will become more emotionally attached to their assistant, particularly if the assistant is capable of learning and changing over time. This is likely a long way down the road that will come with ethical considerations once the technology is possible. For now, users can be comforted in knowing their assistants are at their service to play music and schedule events into their calendars.