Welcome back Home Enthusiasts!
We're trustedshoppingguide.com and today we are in the Home.
In this video, two smart home control brands will be going head to head.
We have the Philips Hue Smart Hub and the 4th Generation Amazon Echo.
Making your home management fun and easy, smart home controllers utilize a hardwired
or wireless system to connect to a variety of smart appliances.
By simply connecting your device to your smartphone, tablet, laptop, smart TV, or even game console,
they will be able to detect compatible devices such as thermostats, cameras, lights, and
monitors to name a few.
On top of having a convenient way of synchronizing your home, you will also be able to save on
electrical bills by regulating unused or rarely used appliances.
In today s review, we have picked two of the most brilliant competitors - the Philips Hue
Smart Hub and the 4th Generation Amazon Echo which both have earned 5 badges from our team
at trustedshoppingguide.com.
Whether you re searching for an expansive controller or you re looking for a protective
candidate, you will surely find your best match in today s Brand Wars!
If you are interested in the other smart home controls that we reviewed, do check out our
smart home control review video linked below.
If you want direct links to the products themselves, all these links are also listed below too.
So, without further ado, let s start the brand wars!
The first category that these smart home controls will be going toe to toe with is their voice
activation and control Just like a human helper, smart home controls
also use active listening to follow a command.
Voice activation and control regulate a broad range of automated systems as soon as it recognizes
the voice of the registered user.
Both of our contenders have a built-in ZigBee-controlled hub for this interface.
This integration speeds up the configuration process since ZigBee detects nearby appliances
in under 5 minutes.
However, the Philips Hue Smart Hub works in tandem with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and
Google Assistant while the 4th Generation Amazon Echo is exclusive to work only with
Amazon Alexa.
This means that appliances that are not compatible with Alexa such as Google Nest, some models
of LG televisions, and some units of Philips lights won t receive voice commands from Amazon
Echo.
In this round, we are giving the first win to the versatility of voice control of the
Philips Hue Smart Hub.
The second category that these two brands will be going toe to toe with is their compatible
smart systems Making sure that your hive completes tasks
and consumes energy intentionally, a smart home hub will connect to different networks,
systems, and devices to unify their functions or customize their settings.
In this way, you can simplify the way you manage your space.
The 4th Generation Amazon Echo is eager to please with its connection to compatible sensors,
lights, locks, bulbs, and even weather-controlled systems such as solar lights and temperature-sensitive
LED strips.
With this, you can guarantee that you re not leaving an excess carbon footprint and you
can also safe keep everyone at home.
If you re too lazy to go to your nightly rounds, a unified personalized command can shut your
locks, turn off unused lights, and turn on your safety alarms in case of suspicious activity.
The Amazon Echo also has multi-room music so you can jam with your family and friends
despite having your alone time in separate rooms.
Meanwhile, the Philips Hue Smart Hub is still a bit young in this facet.
On its own, you can use the Hue Hub to control your Hue lighting systems.
Apart from that, you will have to purchase Google Android Nest or Samsung Smart Things
to gain complete access to more appliances or you can the Hue Dimmer Switch, Hue Tap,
or Hue Motion Sensor to your order if you d like to synchronize commands.
Even though the Philips Hue Smart Hub has a lot of potential for voice control, the
4th Generation Amazon Echo can control more smart items independently, making it the clear
winner of the round.
The third category that these two brands will be going toe to toe with is their network
connectivity After knowing the scale of control, it s time
to take a look at how your device will connect to your router.
Both of our contenders thankfully have wireless connectivity for increased flexibility, mobility,
and speed.
The Philips Hue Smart Hub has wireless connectivity for Wireless A with a maximum of 40 megabits
per second or Mbps, Wireless B with 11 Mbps, Wireless G with 54 Mbps, and Wireless N with
up to 900 Mbps with 2.4 and 5 gigahertz networks.
With this, you can still control your device over a data network in case of Wi-Fi interruption.
In contrast, the 4th Generation Amazon Echo has the same connectivity as the Wireless
A, B, G, and N but it adds Wireless AC to its list.
Wireless AC has a speed of 3.2 Gigabits per second which is employed for newer Wi-Fi bands.
However, Amazon Echo doesn t support ad-hoc or peer-to-peer connections so you won t be
able to connect properly with some wireless local area networks or LANs due to its lack
of security.
This option also offers a Bluetooth connection for speakers and mobile music players.
They also have Amazon Sidewalk which simplifies the set-up by conveniently reconnecting with
your Wi-Fi after changing passwords and extends command to your neighbor s house so you can
help them manage their home by remotely housesitting.
In this category, the 4th Generation Amazon Echo won with its broad and secure connections.
The fourth category that these two brands will be going toe to toe with is their routine
functions Some days are a bit more draining than others
and some settings are imprinted within our habits.
With the routine functions, you won t have to constantly fine-tune your commands.
You will also have a better understanding of your schedule so you re not just managing
the home, you re also managing your time.
Both of our challengers incorporate this feature seamlessly by offering alarm settings and
timers.
With this, you will get contact reminders of your settings in case you want or need
to change them for the day.
The routine functions are an extension of the smart systems so the Philips Hue Smart
Hub can connect to the Philips Hue app to intensify and dim smart lights.
The 4th Generation Amazon Echo took a bigger stride though.
If you bet on this, you ll be able to command your smart coffee maker to get your hot cup
of espresso ready by 5 A.M. and your smart thermostat will automatically turn on 15 minutes
before you arrive home from work.
This can be activated through manual settings but the Amazon Echo also operates with an
ultrasound Motion system so some operations will begin as soon as you walk into the room.
For this round, the intuitive facet of the 4th Generation Amazon Echo got ahead of the
race.
The fifth and final category that these two brands will be going toe to toe with is their
privacy protection Some users are scared to employ smart home
control because of the fear of privacy invasion.
Thankfully, manufacturers are very transparent about their privacy protection policies so
your device won t accumulate your information without your permission.
The Philips Hue Smart Hub uses industry-standard authentication and encryption.
This means no one will have access to your settings and information unless they have
confirmed it through biometrics or contact verification.
Meanwhile, the 4th Generation Amazon Echo follows Amazon Alexa s standard of privacy.
This means that the microphone and speakers are completely disconnected once you ve dismissed
the voice control and the ultrasound motion detection won t budge
if you set an Occupancy Routine.
Amazon Echo also makes sure to ask for verification before reporting usage, routines, and recordings.
This will be done through detailed screenings and a 2-factor authentication from your official
connected e-mail or smartphone.
The extensiveness of the 4th Generation Amazon Echo knocked out its challenger for this round.
After the interesting clamor between our 5-badge contenders, we have finally arrived at the
end of our brand wars.
Despite the strong start of Philips Hue Smart Hub, the 4th Generation Amazon Echo still
took it down with its 4 consecutive wins.
Philips Hue s versatile voice command is hard to miss but the dedication of the 4th Generation
Amazon Echo to providing control for a broad range of compatible items, secure network
connectivity, habitual functions, and detailed privacy protection made it the better smart
home control of this clash.
And there you have it folks the battle between the Philips Hue Smart Hub and the 4th Generation
Amazon Echo has finally ended.
If you have any contenders for our next smart home control face-off, which you would like
our team to test, do drop it in the comments section below and we will be sure to assess
them for our next update.
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into everything that makes our Homes great!
We look forward to seeing you at the trustedshoppingguide.com again soon.