Remember when we used to dream about simply telling our computers what to do? It seemed like a far-fetched sci-fi fantasy. But in 2023, voice-controlled computing has become a mainstream reality, and nowhere is that more apparent than with the meteoric rise of the smart speaker.
As a technology writer who has covered the smart home space for over a decade, I‘ve had a front row seat to the smart speaker revolution. I‘ve tested dozens of models from all the major brands, marveling at how quickly they‘ve evolved from an intriguing novelty to an indispensable part of millions of households. If you haven‘t yet welcomed a smart speaker into your home, I‘m here to tell you that now is the time.
In this in-depth guide, I‘ll unpack the top 10 reasons a smart speaker deserves a place in your life, sharing some expert insights, data, and recommendations along the way. But first, let‘s briefly retrace how we got here.
A Short History of Smart Speakers
The first smart speaker to hit the consumer market was the Amazon Echo in November 2014, which introduced the world to the Alexa voice assistant. Google followed suit in November 2016 with the original Google Home and the Google Assistant.
Initial adoption was gradual but steady. A January 2017 report by NPR and Edison Research estimated that about 7% of Americans (around 20 million people) owned a smart speaker. Fast forward to 2023, and those figures have exploded.
According to a recent survey by Voicebot.ai, as of January 2023:
- 67% of US adults have access to a smart speaker (around 180 million people)
- There are over 400 million smart speakers in US households
- 35% of smart speaker owners use them daily
What started as a hobbyist gadget has undeniably evolved into a mainstream essential. But the question remains: do YOU need one in your life? I‘m here to tell you the answer is a resounding yes, and here are 10 reasons why.
Reason 1: Unparalleled Convenience
The number one reason to bring a smart speaker into your home is simple: convenience. Being able to interact with technology hands-free using natural language is a profound shift in computing, and it makes a world of once-complex tasks utterly effortless.
With a simple voice command, you can set timers and alarms, add items to your shopping list, check the weather, get news/sports/traffic updates, control your smart home devices, set reminders, and so much more. A 2019 survey by Adobe Analytics found that the top uses for smart speakers were:
- Playing music (74%)
- Checking weather (66%)
- Asking fun questions (58%)
- Online search (47%)
- Setting alarms/reminders (46%)
- Checking news (36%)
- Controlling smart home devices (31%)
Having all these abilities at the tip of your tongue, without having to pull out your phone or hunch over a computer, is tremendously empowering and time-saving. It‘s hard to overstate how much friction smart speakers remove from everyday tasks.
Reason 2: Instant Information Access
In the age of Google, we‘re accustomed to having the world‘s knowledge at our fingertips. But with a smart speaker, that knowledge is even more immediately accessible. Any question that pops into your head can be answered instantly, just by asking.
"Alexa, who was the 12th president of the United States?"
"Hey Google, what‘s 18 percent of 164?
"Siri, how do you say ‘cheers‘ in Japanese?"
You‘ll get the answers you need (John Tyler, 29.52, and 乾杯 (kanpai), respectively) spoken back to you in seconds. It‘s like having an always-ready reference librarian in your home. And these factual queries barely scratch the surface. Your smart speaker can also:
- Give you step-by-step recipes
- Define and translate words
- Do unit conversions and math problems
- Tell you how to spell or pronounce words
- Look up sports scores and schedules
- Give you business hours and phone numbers
The breadth of instantly accessible information is astounding. According to Amazon, Alexa now has over 100,000 skills (essentially apps) that expand its knowledge and capabilities. Having all that intelligence just a question away is incredibly powerful.
Reason 3: Voice-Controlled Smart Home
If you‘ve dipped your toes into smart home automation with WiFi-connected lights, outlets, thermostats, or appliances, a smart speaker will become the central hub that ties everything together.
Most major smart home brands (like Philips Hue, TP-Link, Ring, August, and Ecobee) have direct integrations with Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing you to link your accounts and control everything with voice commands. Some common examples:
"Alexa, turn off the living room lights"
"Hey Google, lock the front door"
"Siri, set the thermostat to 72 degrees"
Being able to orchestrate your smart devices hands-free elevates them from novelties to necessities. And the more smart gadgets you add, the more indispensable your speaker will become as the unifying interface.
But even if you don‘t have a single smart bulb, plug, or switch, smart speakers can still help you manage your home environment. Most have native abilities to control media playback on connected TVs and speakers, and some, like the latest Amazon Echo models, even have built-in smart home hubs to directly connect devices like Zigbee lights and locks without additional hardware.
Reason 4: A World of Audio Entertainment
Playing music is the most popular use for smart speakers, and it‘s easy to see why. Asking for any song, artist, album, or genre and having it play instantly is every music lover‘s dream.
All the major smart speaker platforms support multiple music services. Alexa, for example, works with Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and others. Google Assistant and Siri offer similar options. And the experience is delightfully hands-off – no more futzing with cords or scrolling through menus.
But it‘s not just music. Smart speakers also give you instant access to podcasts, radio stations, and audiobooks with a simple voice command. Some, like the Sonos One and the latest Amazon Echo, even support high-resolution lossless audio for a truly ear-opening experience.
Beyond pure audio, smart speakers are also becoming full-fledged communications hubs. Many now allow you to make hands-free calls, send messages or voice memos to other speaker users, even video chat with smart displays. It‘s not hard to envision a near future where your smart speaker is your primary portal for all remote interaction.
Reason 5: Endless Entertainment and Fun
Smart speakers aren‘t all business though – they have strong leisurely bona fides as well. In fact, many shine brightest in their most playful applications.
All the major voice assistants are packed with jokes, Easter eggs, games, and other lighthearted abilities meant to delight. Some examples:
- Alexa can play 20 questions, tell Mad Libs-style stories, and even perform beatbox routines.
- Google Assistant can play trivia games, tell stories, and engage in goofy banter (try "Hey Google, let‘s get ridiculous")
- Siri can tell jokes, recite poetry, and engage in witty exchanges (ask it about the meaning of life or zero divided by zero)
And then there are the thousands of third-party voice skills and actions that turn your speaker into a game console. From classics like Jeopardy and Monopoly to original creations, there‘s a voice-driven diversion for every taste and mood.
Having an always-ready fountain of interactive fun in your home is a special kind of magic. It‘s like having a game show host, a stand up comedian, and a wise sage all rolled into one, available to entertain or enlighten you and your family at any moment.
Reason 6: Accessibility and Empowerment
For the millions of people living with vision loss, limited mobility, or other physical challenges, smart speakers can be profoundly empowering tools for independence.
Being able to control your environment, access information, and accomplish tasks using only your voice is tremendously enabling for those who cannot easily manipulate visual interfaces. A 2018 survey by Voicebot.ai found that individuals with disabilities are 62% more likely to own a smart speaker, and use their devices up to 11% more frequently than the average user.
Moreover, voice technology is proving to be a critical tool for older adults to age in place more safely and autonomously. A 2019 study by Pew Research found that 17% of Americans over 50 use a smart speaker, with 56% saying it helps them feel more connected and 64% reporting it improves their quality of life.
As the tech continues to mature and more third-party skills emerge for health tracking, medication management, and remote assistance, smart speakers are poised to become indispensable allies for accessibility and empowerment.
Reason 7: Fostering Learning and Curiosity
If you have young kids in your life, a smart speaker can be an incredible tool to foster learning, creativity, and curiosity. With carefully curated skills and content, smart speakers provide an always-available interactive portal for kids to explore their interests safely.
For example, Amazon offers FreeTime on Alexa, a free service that unlocks a host of kid-friendly commands and skills. Kids can ask Alexa questions, play educational games, enjoy age-appropriate music and stories, and even get help with homework, all within a parent-controlled environment.
Similarly, Google Assistant offers Family Link, which allows parents to create child accounts with content restrictions and usage limits. There are countless skills to inspire learning and creativity, like Lego Duplo Stories which guides preschoolers through imaginative build prompts.
Having a smart speaker in the home exposes children to the power of voice technology from an early age. It encourages them to seek knowledge, engage with content actively, and think computationally. It‘s a front-row seat to the future.
Reason 8: Seamless Multi-Room Audio
If you love the idea of having music playing throughout your home, a family of smart speakers is the most effortless way to achieve that. Most models can be synced into groups to play the same audio simultaneously, creating an immersive whole-home soundscape.
Setting this up is shockingly simple. For example, with Amazon‘s Echo speakers, you just create a named speaker group in the Alexa app with the speakers you want to include. Then you can target that group with commands like:
"Alexa, play jazz in the downstairs group"
"Alexa, set the upstairs group volume to 60%"
No fussing with wires or hunting for remotes, your voice is the only controller you need. And many smart speakers, including the Sonos One, Google Nest Audio, and Apple HomePod, support multi-room standards like AirPlay 2 and Chromecast, so you can mix and match brands to blanket your entire space in high-fidelity sound.
Reason 9: The Future of Search and Commerce
Whether or not you personally use smart speakers for web searches or shopping, there‘s no denying they‘re fundamentally reshaping both activities.
According to a 2022 report by Juniper Research, the percentage of US search queries conducted by voice has now reached 40%, and is expected to surpass 50% by 2024. This has major implications for businesses and marketers, who must now optimize their content and websites for voice search and natural language processing.
Similarly, voice shopping is projected to become a $19.4 billion market by the end of 2023, up from just $2 billion in 2018 (per OC&C Strategy Consultants). While still a small slice of total ecommerce, it‘s clear that consumers are getting more comfortable purchasing by voice command.
Even if you don‘t see yourself using these features regularly, the trendlines suggest voice will play an increasingly dominant role in how we discover, evaluate, and acquire products and information in the years ahead. Having a smart speaker is your hands-on gateway into this brave new world.
Reason 10: They Just Keep Getting Better
Perhaps the most exciting reason to invest in a smart speaker today is that it‘s an investment that will pay dividends for years to come. Because their brains exist primarily in the cloud, not locally on the device, smart speakers are constantly gaining new abilities that make them more helpful, more engaging, and more essential over time.
Since launch, Amazon has pushed over 100 major feature updates to Alexa and tens of thousands of new skills. Google and Apple have maintained a similar steady clip of enhancements. And that‘s not even counting the universe of third party skills that materialize daily. It‘s a category that evolves as rapidly as your wildest imaginations.
Moreover, advancements in the underlying AI are yielding astonishing leaps in natural language understanding, multiturn dialogue, and proactive assistance. The smart speakers of tomorrow will not only understand us better, but will anticipate our needs and offer help before we even ask.
And soon, they won‘t just be speakers. Many smart displays like the Echo Show and Nest Hub are adding cameras to enable things like gesture control, security monitoring, even in-home telehealth. As the technology shrinks and gets embedded into more form factors like TVs, cars, and wearables, the notion of a smart speaker may become anachronistic. It‘ll just be a voice, your voice, connecting you to your digital world from any device.
Bringing It Home
If you‘ve read this far, I hope I‘ve made a compelling case for why a smart speaker deserves a spot in your home and in your life. As someone who has lived with this technology since its infancy, I can tell you it has profoundly reshaped my relationship with information, entertainment, and my environment in powerfully positive ways.
But I get it, choosing the right smart speaker ecosystem to hitch your wagon to can feel dizzying and daunting. While there are hundreds of third-party models on the market, your first decision really comes down to picking a virtual assistant: Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri. They‘re all highly capable, but each has its strengths.
If you‘re an Amazon Prime power user, a smart home tinkerer, or a privacy stickler, go with an Echo Dot. It‘s affordable, compact, and the Alexa ecosystem is unrivaled for skills and smart home compatibility.
If you‘re a Google diehard who leans heavily on calendar and email, go with a Nest Mini. Its integration with Google services is top notch, and many find the Google Assistant voice and interface more natural.
If you‘re an iPhone lifer with Apple everything, go with a HomePod Mini. The Siri experience is tailor-made for the Apple ecosystem, and the audio quality punches way above its size class.
You can always expand into the others later, but start with the assistant that fits most naturally into your existing digital life. Remember, it‘s less about the specific device and more about the AI you‘re inviting into your world.
Because once you start talking to technology like you‘d talk to a person, I predict you‘ll wonder how you ever tapped and swiped your way through the day. Smart speakers have a funny way of weaving themselves into the fabric of your household until they feel like part of the family.
So go ahead, take the plunge, and join the conversation. The future is listening, and it‘s dying to meet you.