I tried Amazon and Google’s new smart home gadgets this week, ask me anything!

Amazon and Google have significantly advanced their smart home ecosystems with new AI-powered devices, intensifying competition. Amazon launched updated Echo devices featuring a more conversational Alexa Plus and new Ring security cameras, including a 4K video doorbell. Google countered by integrating its Gemini AI into Google Home with "Gemini for Home," replacing Google Assistant, and introducing new Nest security cameras, a video doorbell, and a low-cost camera line in partnership with Walmart. This strategic push by both tech giants underscores a concentrated effort to enhance user experience through advanced AI and expand market penetration in the smart home sector.

Analysis

Hi! I’m Jennifer Pattison Tuohy (aka Jen), The Verge’s smart home reviewer. I just spent the last week in New York City checking out the new smart displays, smart speakers, smart voice assistants, and smart security cameras launched by Amazon and Google. I haven’t tested any of them yet, but I’ve had some hands-on time with the new gadgets and spoken with folks at both companies about the new features. I tried Amazon and Google’s new smart home gadgets, ask me anything! From new Echo Shows to new Nest Cams, a new Google Home smart speaker and new voice assistants, there’s a lot of new smart home stuff coming. You have questions, I have answers. From new Echo Shows to new Nest Cams, a new Google Home smart speaker and new voice assistants, there’s a lot of new smart home stuff coming. You have questions, I have answers. I’m hosting a subscriber-only AMA on the site today, Friday, October 3rd. Just ask your questions in the comments on this post, and my editor, Nathan Edwards, and I will join you here at 1 PM ET to answer as many as we can. To catch you up: on Tuesday, Amazon launched new Echo Show smart displays and Echo smart speakers that come with its new AI-powered Alexa Plus voice assistant, which is more conversational, smarter, and (mostly) better able to manage your smart home. The company also revealed a bunch of new Ring smart security cameras, including a 4K-capable video doorbell, plus a new AI-powered feature that uses Ring cameras to help find missing dogs. Then, on Wednesday, Google announced a huge overhaul of its smart home efforts. The headline is that it’s finally bringing its Gemini AI fully into Google Home with Gemini for Home, a new, smarter LLM-powered voice assistant for Google Home speakers that replaces Google Assistant. Google launched new Gemini-capable Nest security cameras and a new video doorbell, plus a line of low-cost cameras in partnership with Walmart. It also announced a new Google Home smart speaker, which is coming next year. This new breed of smarter AI is finally coming to the smart home. I know you have questions, and I hope I have the answers! Amazon (AMZN) and Google (GOOGL) are significantly escalating their competition in the smart home sector, leveraging their core AI capabilities to drive a new product cycle. Amazon is refreshing its ecosystem with new Echo smart displays and speakers powered by a more conversational 'Alexa Plus' AI, alongside hardware upgrades in its Ring security line, including a 4K-capable video doorbell. In a direct countermove, Google is executing a major overhaul by integrating its advanced Gemini AI directly into its smart home platform with 'Gemini for Home,' which replaces the incumbent Google Assistant. This software upgrade is complemented by new Gemini-capable Nest cameras and a strategic partnership with Walmart (WMT) to launch a line of low-cost cameras, a move aimed at expanding market penetration and challenging Amazon's retail dominance in the category. The slightly higher positive sentiment for Google (0.7 vs. 0.6 for Amazon) may reflect the market's perception of the Gemini integration as a more substantial technological leap. This wave of innovation indicates a strategic shift from basic voice assistance to deeply integrated, AI-driven home management, which could stimulate a significant hardware upgrade cycle for both tech giants.

Key Decisions for Investors

• Investors should monitor upcoming quarterly reports from both Amazon and Google for commentary on hardware sales and margins, as this new product cycle represents a significant investment in capturing and retaining users within their respective ecosystems.
• The Google-Walmart partnership for low-cost cameras is a key strategic development to watch, as its success could significantly improve Google's hardware distribution and challenge Amazon's established market share in the entry-level smart home segment.
• Given that the products are newly announced and not yet fully reviewed, investors should consider the execution risk and await initial consumer adoption data before adjusting positions based on the long-term success of these AI enhancements.