Smart home technology has witnessed wider adoption. Among the easiest Internet of Things (IoT) upgrades you can make is a voice assistant. Internet-connected speakers such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home have become increasingly popular. Samsung’s SmartThings smart home ecysostem remains one of the most user-friendly platforms on the market, and there are tons of SmartThings-compatible devices ranging from thermostats to smart bulbs. Check out the best SmartThings voice assistants you can buy!
What is Samsung SmartThings?
The Samsung SmartThings platform is a smart home ecosystem. A SmartThings network consists of two main components: hardware and software. At the center of a SmartThings set up you’ll find a Samsung SmartThings hub. This hub features Internet connectivity and communicates with the accompanying SmartThings app as well as devices like security cameras, video doorbells, smart lights, and other SmartThings-compatible gadgets. There are many different smart home communication protocols. For its wireless IoT protocols, SmartThings uses ZigBee and Z-Wave. Most Z-Wave and ZigBee products should work just fine out-of-the-box, although SmartThings-certified devices are guaranteed to function.
What is a Voice Assistant and Why Should You Use One?
A voice assistant is an artificial intelligence (AI) powered digital platform that reacts to voice commands. Some of the most popular voice assistants include Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, and Samsung’s Bixby. For example, you can issue a command such as “what’s the weather,” and get a local weather report. By integrating your voice assistants with different third-party apps, you can accomplish various tasks like playing music on services such as Spotify or Tidal using voice commands. Specifically for SmartThings, a compatible voice assistant will let you control your various devices. When I’m on the way out the door, I simply issue a vocal command of “Alexa, turn all of the lights off,” which in turn sends a signal to my SmartThings hub to power off all smart lights on the network.
Best SmartThings Voice Assistant for Amazon Prime Users – Amazon Echo Dot
The Amazon Echo Dot received a major overhaul for its 4th generation release. Evolving from the previous hockey puck form factor, the all-new Echo Dot 4th gen appears much like its name: a dot. The globe-shaped smart speaker comes with Amazon Alexa onboard for voice control of hundreds of apps ranging from Samsung SmartThings to Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, SiriusXM, and more. Amazon even offers an Amazon Echo Dot with a clock built in. Its smart home integration lets you easily use your voice to control the lights, lock doors, and a slew of other gadgets. There’s Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a 3.5mm output for using Alexa on a more robust speaker.
As a self-contained smart speaker, the Amazon Echo Dot is a great option. It’s small, user-friendly, and boasts compatibility with the Amazon ecosystem. But as a standalone speaker, its sound quality is lacking. Bass performance is middling, and you’ll find far better budget Bluetooth speakers on the market. Because it’s mostly a cosmetic upgrade, you could snag the Amazon Echo Dot 3rd gen and save a bit of money. Still, the Amazon Echo Dot 4th gen offers a cheap entry point into Amazon’s Alexa, and works incredibly well as a SmartThings voice assistant.
Pros:
- Affordable
- User-friendly
- Amazon Alexa onboard
- 3.5mm output
- Decent sound quality
- Attractive design
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
- Available with a clock onboard
Cons:
- Average sound quality, weak bass performance
- No 3.5mm input
Best Budget Samsung SmartThings Voice Assistant – Google Home Mini
On a budget, the Google Home Mini is a great pick up. The disc-shaped Google Home Mini features good build quality. Its fabric-covered upper half is pleasing to the touch. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Google Cast support make the Home Mini a versatile little smart speaker. Rocking Google Assistant onboard, you can add a slew of integrations like Spotify and Samsung SmartThings. Affordable pricing makes the Google Home Mini a fantastic, wallet-friendly choice for a Samsung SmartThings voice assistant. However, as a speaker, the Google Home Mini offers weak audio. For basic music streaming or listening to podcasts, it’s just fine. But it’s not going to please audiophiles. Nevertheless, the Home Mini functions flawlessly with SmartThings for a cost-effective IoT voice assistant.
Pros:
- Good build quality
- Attractive design
- Affordable
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
- Google Assistant onboard
- Works with SmartThings
Cons:
- No 3.5mm headphone jack
- Average sound quality
Best Mid-range SmartThings Voice Assistant – Amazon Echo
Like its younger sibling in the Amazon Echo Dot, the Amazon Echo benefitted from a hardware revamp. Although predominantly cosmetic, it’s a significant upgrade which makes the Amazon Echo a compelling solution for a SmartThings-compatible voice assistant. A rounded, globular design is aesthetically pleasing. Sound quality gets a significant boost. You’ll find noticeably enhanced bass response and stereo pairing capabilities which further posit the Amazon Echo as a competitive speaker. There’s excellent smart home connectivity with a built-in hub and SmartThings Alexa skill compatibility. The new ball-shaped design isn’t for everyone and admittedly many of the updates are iterative. As such, it’s not necessarily worth upgrading if you already own an Amazon Echo. But for newcomers, the Amazon Echo boasts shockingly solid audio for a great all-around smart speaker.
Pros:
- Excellent audio with good bass response and stereo pairing
- Attractive rounded design
- Affordable
- Great smart home connectivity including SmartThings Alexa skill compatibility
- Amazon Alexa onboard
Cons:
- Mild updates over previous-gen Amazon Echo
Best Samsung SmartThings Voice Assistant With Video – Amazon Echo Show
The Amazon Echo Show ushers in video capabilities with Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant baked in. You’ll find a boatload of Alexa skills available including Amazon Music, Spotify, Hulu, Ring, and Samsung SmartThings. Available with a high definition display in either 8 inches or 5 inches, the Echo Show lets you listen to music, watch videos, and even video chat using the onboard camera. You may also consider the Amazon Echo Show 10.1 2nd gen which sports a slightly larger 10.-inch display with almost the exact same feature set as the newer Echo 5 and Echo 8. But I suggest opting for the Echo 8 with its lower pricing. If you need the screen real estate, theAmazon Echo Show 10.1 is still a fantastic choice, though the cost-effectiveness of the Echo Show 8 is unrivaled. Google’s Nest Hub is a bit easier to navigate, but the Echo Show is still easy to use.
Pros:
- HD display in 5, 8, or 10.1 inches
- Amazon Alexa onboard
- Tons of Amazon Alexa skills including Samsung SmartThings
- Build-in camera and mic
- Cost-effective
Cons:
- Not as refined as Google Nest Hub
Best High-end SmartThings Voice Assistant – Google Home Max
If you need audiophile sound quality alongside SmartThings voice assistant compatibility, the Google Home Max truly lives up to its name. This large speaker gets seriously loud, even rivaling high-end speakers from the likes of Sonos. In fact, the Google Home Max unlike the Mini is intended as a stereo system replacement. Clocking in at about 12 pounds, it’s a hefty smart speaker with Google Assistant onboard. A pair of 4.5-inch subwoofers complement 0.7-inch tweeters with six class-D amplifiers. What’s more, the Google Home Max arrives with a whopping six far-field microphones onboard. There’s a USB Type-C port that’s Ethernet compatible, and even a 3.5mm input for external sources like phones, tablets, MP3 players, or turntables. Build quality and looks are top-notch. Still, the Google Home Max falls short of premium speakers like the Sonos 5. The Home Max is certainly no slouch and should be more than fine for the majority of users. Yet hardcore audiophiles might consider true music-fiend speaker instead.
Pros:
- Excellent sound quality
- Gets loud
- Fantastic connectivity – Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm input, USB Type-C with Ethernet support
- Large
- Great build quality
Cons:
- Heavy
- Not true audiophile quality
Best Samsung SmartThings Voice Assistants – Final Thoughts
if you want a voice assistant to control your Samsung SmartThings smart home devices, you’ve got plenty of options. Most users should be just fine with a Google Home Mini or Amazon Echo Dot. If you want a more versatile smart speaker, the Amazon Echo provides perfectly usable sound quality at a reasonable price. For video, the Echo Show adds video watching and calling capabilities. Then for true music aficionados, the Google Home Max is the way to go.
Your turn: Which SmartThings voice assistants do you recommend?
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