Amazon vs. Google Smart Displays

Amazon Alexa is available on the company's Echo Show smart displays, including the Echo Show 5, the Echo Show 8, the Echo Show 10, and the Echo Show 15 (all named for the size of their screens). That's only the start.

(Credit: Will Greenwald)

With an Echo Show, you get full access to Alexa's capabilities. These devices can show or tell you anything you want to know (within Alexa's powers to answer). They can also play content from Prime Video and a handful of third-party services, plus give you access to a fully functional web browser. They offer touch-screen control of smart home devices and can show live feeds from compatible home security cameras, too. You can even make phone calls through them.

The Echo Show 10 has an additional, unique benefit: a motorized base. It can rotate to follow you around the room, swiveling the camera and the screen to keep you in the frame. It's a handy feature, especially if you place it on an island or table in the center of a room. The Echo Show 15, meanwhile, is the largest smart display available with a 15-inch screen, and is designed to hang on the wall like a picture. These two Echo Show devices both stand out as the most expensive smart displays currently available because of the 10's unique base and the 15's large size.

Amazon recently released the Echo Hub, which is very similar to the Echo Show and has many of the same features, but is much more focused on being a smart home control panel than a device for communication and media consumption. You can still use Alexa, make voice calls, and even watch Prime Video on the Echo Hub, but its big appeal is a smart-home-centric interface that puts touch controls front and center instead of requiring you to use your voice or swipe through menus.

(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)

Google offers two Google Assistant smart displays in the form of the second-gen Nest Hub with a 7-inch screen and one speaker driver, and the Nest Hub Max with a 10-inch screen and stereo speaker drivers (one woofer and two tweeters). You won't find a web browser on either of these devices, but you can access YouTube, live TV via YouTube TV, Netflix, and Disney+, as well as music through YouTube Music, Apple Music, Spotify, and others. All Google Assistant smart speakers and smart displays are also compatible with Google Cast, so you can easily stream media to them from any compatible mobile app.

The expected informational and smart home features are also available and, although Google Assistant's selection of supported home automation devices isn't quite as massive as Alexa's, it's a bit better at dealing with natural language and less picky about syntax. You can also make phone calls with these smart displays and video chat through Google Meet (Nest Hub Max only).

Is a Tablet Better Than a Smart Display?

Amazon's Fire HD tablets include Show Mode, which makes them act just like the Echo Show. It's a functional solution and a handy option if you want your Fire HD to remain functional while it charges.

However, the tablets don't sound isn't nearly as good as the Echo Show devices and they lack the sense of permanence a smart display offers. They also don't charge wirelessly, and Amazon doesn't offer charging docks for them.

(Credit: Eric Zeman)

Google's Pixel Tablet (with its Speaker Dock) also attempts to bridge the gap between tablets and smart displays, so it's worth considering if you want something that works as both types of devices.

Does Apple Make a Smart Display?

It took Apple a few years to dip its toe into the smart speaker arena with the HomePod (now in its second generation) and the more budget-friendly HomePod mini. It's up in the air whether Apple ever will release a dedicated smart display. For now, you can use your iPad or iPhone on a stand and just talk to Siri, or get an Apple TV and speak into the remote, but that's as far as it goes.

If you want a bigger screen than a smart display to show you information and movies, take a look at our list of the best TVs. If the screen size is right, but you want to be able to take it on the go, start shopping for one of our favorite tablets.