How to Create the Best Alexa Setup for Your Home
Once you have successfully set up Alexa on your phone, you can expand the services provided by the voice assistant using a hub. To use Alexa, you need your phone to be able to hear you, but if you add a hub, as long as you are within earshot of the hub, it will accept the request and Alexa will respond using the hub. However, the hub can do much more.
Do you only need voice or video?
For the most part, Echo devices fall into two groups: speakers and displays . A smart speaker can hear you asking for help and then respond to you. It can make announcements and generally act as a speaker for any audio, including podcasts, white noise, music, and conversations you have with Alexa. It can also make phone calls.
A smart display is a video tablet and can do everything a speaker can, but also obviously show you video. Now these calls can be video calls, or you can use your favorite video streaming service. It also provides a GUI for your smart home, so it acts like your phone and serves as a place to log into the Alexa app.
Start by installing inexpensive speakers throughout your home.
The immediate factor to consider is how much reach you want Alexa to have and how much you’re willing to pay for it. For example, if you want Alexa to be available throughout your home, you need an Echo device within earshot of wherever you are. It adds up. First, let’s look at Alexa Dots , the entry point for Echo devices. These little speakers can be purchased for under $100 and can often be purchased for as little as $40. Scattered throughout the house, they are a single speaker system that can even support two-way audio so you can talk to someone in another room, or they can provide sound throughout the house when playing music. Dots and their brother Echo Pop come in a variety of shapes and colors; To find the one that’s right for you, just browse through the options. The main difference between the two is that Dots provide a more multi-directional sound, while Pops provide a more directional sound. The Pops don’t have a temperature sensor, but that’s one of the few features that differs between the two.
Add video impressions where it makes sense, in activity hubs.
It’s unlikely you’ll need an Echo display in every room, but it makes a lot of sense in crowded areas. A kitchen is an obvious choice as it will allow you to watch cooking videos, video chat with friends while cooking, and control your smart home from the center of your home. Perhaps a bedroom or family room makes sense too.
For Echo displays, there are two varieties to consider: Echo Hub and Echo Shows . While there are many iterations of the Show, there is (so far) only one Echo Hub. These siblings are very similar in price and functionality. Both support Thread, Matter, Zigbee, Bluetooth and Sidewalk. Echo Hubs don’t have their own camera, but Shows do. While both have speakers, only the show has microphones. Otherwise, the main difference lies in appearance. The Echo Hub is really just a tablet. You can mount it to a wall or refrigerator, although a mount is not included. Echo shows are more solid devices with their own stands. (You can’t mount it to the wall.) Once you’ve decided on an echo show, choosing the right one for you will largely depend on color and price. Each number is a repeat of the previous one, making the Echo Show 15 the latest and most expensive iteration.
Other Features to Consider
Once you’ve connected your smart home’s main spoke and hub through your speakers and displays, you may want to consider adding some extra features here and there. For example, upgrade your living room or game room speaker from a Pop to an Echo Studio , Bose , Sonos , or Marshall Uxbridge , which offer Alexa functionality in a much fancier speaker.
If you have kids, considering how they’ll interact with Echo devices is a real priority, and Alexa’s parental controls allow for plenty of fine-grained settings for those interactions. They also have specialized children’s devices, including kid-themed Pops, Dots and Shows.
Alexa offers additional hubs, including wearable glasses, headphones , a watch , and a hub for your car . This universe will continue to expand in the coming years, but it all starts inside your home.