How to choose a SmartHome Platform

One of the first things you need to do when diving into smart home technology is to decide on a smart home platform. A platform acts as an interface and communication front end to your smart home devices. The three main Smart Home Platforms include Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple Homekit. There are some things to consider when choosing a platform, the goal of the article is to help you decide, the answer is not one size fits all.

One of the easiest ways to keep it simple when it comes to implementing smart home technology is to go with the platform of your smartphone. Google Home and Apple Homekit can run native within Andriod and iOS enabled phones. Understanding your phone’s ecosystem will add simplicity in setup;  adding new devices will feel familiar. It’s also likely that you’ll be able to use hands-free technologies, such as “Hey Siri” or “Ok Google” right away to control devices. This means you don’t need to buy a dedicated smart speaker or screen to get started with voice commands. Two of the drawbacks of going the simple route are; limited smart home devices, and potentially more expensive devices.   

Amazon’s Alexa is a more complex choice compared to Google Home and Apple Homekit. Now, Amazon has done wondrous work on the user experience and applications to integrate smart home devices. Their interface is very intuitive and user-friendly. Getting Started with Alexa will require you to download a dedicated app onto your smartphone, or the purchase of an Alexa voice controlled devices such as the Echo Show, or Echo Dot to name a couple. The complexity of Alexa resides in the integration of various Skills, the numerous 3rd party hardware devices available, and the non-native smartphone integration. Amazon’s philosophy for smart home devices has been along the lines of “the more, the merrier” while Apple and Google have been exclusive to who and what that can integrate with the platform. Therefore, if you’re OK with added complexity, there is money to be saved if you standardize on Alexa given the greater device competition. 

In Summary, there are three themes of decisions to be made when choosing a platform. First, do I want to keep it simple or am I ok adding complexity. Secondly, Do I want a large variety of devices that can be controlled by my smart home? and lastly, Does my budget allow me to keep it simple and dive into a platform with limited devices. 

Overall, SmartHomeGeek does recommend Amazon Alexa as the platform of choice. Amazon’s approach to smart home technology is propelling them forward in the race of home automation. With events like this, it’s hard to see Amazon slowing down anytime soon. We especially like the inexpensive devices available for Alexa, in addition to the sheer variety.