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The term “smart” is the right term to use when describing the latest advancement in the development of smart speakers. Smart speakers play your favorite music, automatically control the electronic components of your home, and give answers to questions asked verbally by anyone inside of a house. According to the audio experts at Selby, smart speakers have risen in popularity twofold during the past 2 years.
Smart speakers offer several features that transform their audio components into the technological command centers of your home. You can set up smart speakers to provide weather forecasts, traffic conditions, information from a dictionary, and much more information. As a type of home assistance device, a smart speaker can also help administrate common household tasks, such as locking doors, monitoring security, and lowering window shades.
Outside of the Echo smart speakers manufactured by Amazon, smart speakers receive power from the same digital devices used to power Smartphones.
What Are the Common Features of Smart Speakers?
The electronics industry has not created uniform standards for defining smart speakers. However, most smart speakers come with similar features that form a standard for designing these intelligent standalone electronic devices.
Play Music
Although smart speakers play music like standard stereo speakers, manufacturers do not design smart speakers the same as they do standard speakers. Standard speakers connect to a stereo or home theater system, while smart speakers represent self-powered speakers that access music digitally. Placing the same types of smart speakers throughout your home allows you to project the same audio from each speaker.
Smart speakers are similar to bluetooth speakers, but they have more functionality and are designed to be integrated into smart home systems. Alternatively, bluetooth speakers are intended to be used as standalone audio interfaces that do not typically have web connectivity, microphones, or advanced smart technology built into their design.
Convenient Compact Size
One of the reasons it is easy to move smart speakers around the home is because of their compact size. After entertaining your family by placing several smart speakers in the entertainment room, you can place smart speakers in multiple rooms the next day to entertain a much larger group of guests.
Internet Access
One of the most popular common features of a smart speaker is the ability to connect to the Internet via a home Wi-Fi network. You might have to use a Smartphone or personal computer to establish Internet access via a smart speaker, but an app that you download makes the process easy to complete.
Stream Music
Smart speakers allow you to listen to your favorite tunes, but how do you gain access to the sources of music? After setting up your home Wi-Fi connection to the Internet, you can stream music from many online sources that are supported by the brand and model of the smart speakers that you own.
Voice Control
One or more built-in microphones allow you to utilize voice commands to retrieve information. With an Internet connection, a smart speaker presents the time and temperature, as well as weather forecasts and stock market reports. The type of voice control that you have for a smart speaker depends on the functionality of the electronic device.
Virtual Home Assistant
Although most smart speakers act as a virtual home assistant, what services the electronic device provides depends on the specifications created by the manufacturer. You can control the lights and television through a smart speaker, as well as translate different languages and access local radio stations for the latest news, sports, and weather.
Most manufacturers offer a Bluetooth option for smart speakers, which allows you to stream music from compatible electronic devices, such as a tablet or Smartphone.
Why Do Smart Speakers Make Sense for Your Home?
At one time considered a luxury, smart speakers have morphed into one of the most popular electronic devices for several reasons.
Convenience
You do not need to search for a Smartphone or a remote control device to operate smart speakers. Because of voice activation, you access the most common features of your smart speakers. Convenience also involves being able to sit in one spot and use a smart speaker to automatically perform tasks, such as unlocking the front door and resetting the thermostat to a higher or lower temperature.
Superior Audio Quality
Manufacturers have committed a considerable amount of financial resources to improve the audio quality projected by smart speakers. Some of the most recent introductions of smart speakers in the market produce audio quality on par with compact music systems and other types of home speakers.
Interact with Other Types of Electronic Devices
By using voice commands, you can configure a set of smart speakers to interact with other types of electronic devices. Although integrating with other electronic devices does not provide as comprehensive of services as the services provided by a custom-installed system, going with smart speakers for interacting with other types of electronic devices saves you money.
The Bottom Line
Smart speakers increase the amount of control that you have not only for the home audio system, but also for home tasks such as opening the garage door, setting the oven timer, and monitoring the temperature inside a refrigerator. As the technology used to develop smart speakers continues to advance, a day might come when clock radios and alarm clocks become obsolete. Advanced technology coupled with increased demand should one day reduce the price of adding the smart speaker dimension to your automated home system.
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
