Google Home adds new smart home products to challenge Amazon's Alexa
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Google is quietly playing catch up with the Amazon Echo. Today the search giant announced new smart home partners for Google Home, its competing smart speaker.
The list includes products from Best Buy Insignia, LIFX, TP-Link, and Wink. In addition, a few other companies announced integrations, but were not included in Google’s initial announcement. They are First Alert, Frigidaire, Logitech, August, Rachio, and Vivint.
You can see a full list of the newly compatible products below:
- Best Buy Insignia Connect WiFi Smart Plug
- LIFX smart bulbs
- TP-Link smart bulbs, switches, and plugs
- Wink Hub and compatible bulbs, dimmers, switches, and thermostats
- First Alert OneLink Thermostat
- Logitech Harmony Hub for voice control of TVs and other A/V devices
- August Smart Lock (August Connect required)
- Rachio Sprinkler Controller
- Frigidaire Gallery Cool Connect Air Conditioner
- Vivint Smart Home System
All of these products greatly expand the smart home capabilities of Google Home. For example, the Home now supports its very first smart lock via August.
But it’s still a far-cry from the literal dozens of products that work with Alexa, which just recently added an entire smart lock category of devices from major lock manufacturers like Schlage and Yale.
Regardless, the pace of product additions to Google Home is promising for a product that is just six months old. If it can keep gaining major partners at this rate, it shouldn’t have a problem competing with the Echo.