Echo Show (2nd Gen)
The Echo Show takes all of the things we love about the Echo Plus, including the vital Zigbee frequency communication, but adds a screen which opens up your possibilities and smart home set up.
Music is no longer limited to sound, with the possibility to watch videos and see lyrics or even just have the album art adding to the atmosphere on the 10.1” screen. Preparing recipes is no longer a case of constantly pausing to read what the next step is. Instead, you can follow videos and guides. Or, you can have Prime Video content on in the background while you’re mixing all your ingredients.
Now for the whole smart hub aspect. You can control compatible items and gadgets with your voice, from bulbs to doorbells and thermostats. There is also technology which will allow you to see the stream of your front door footage if you have a smart camera doorbell, so you can always keep an eye on the comings and goings without rushing to the door.
Or, why not make a video call? You can contact anyone with the Alexa App, an Echo Spot or Echo Show. The sound is also improved compared to the older version.
Migrating over your existing Internet of Things items from their original bridges is easy enough, as Alexa will automatically detect all of your compatible gadgets and connect everything up on your behalf.
There is quite a price jump from the Echo Plus for the addition of a screen, but it does open up the possibilities, especially if you have visual security gadgets in place or love visual accompaniments. There a few limitations in terms of the apps available and devices you can connect to the hub, but it is still ahead of a lot of the others available.
Specifications
- Frequencies: Zigbee, ‘Works With Alexa’
- Compatible With: iOS/Android
+ Downloads
Echo Show (2nd Generation) User Guide
Download
We like
- Larger screen than 1st Generation
- Great sound
We dislike
- Only has Zigbee or Works With Alexa connections so far
Final Verdict
The amazing Echo Plus, but taken up a notch in terms of controllability and usability. Perfect if you're security-conscious.
Google Home Hub
The updated version of the Google Home Smart Speaker, which didn’t support frequency communication, this is Google’s first central hub.
You still have the voice commands and Google Assistant, so all your questions can be answered with pretty accurate results. You can control and play music thanks to the integrated speaker.
However, the addition of the frequencies for the home hub aspect makes it the perfect central organ to any smart home. It is compatible with over 200 products from 50 brands, including Nest (which is a significant missing aspect with a lot of the other smart hubs).
You can also use it with IFTTT to set up relationships between several gadgets, such as your lights with your thermostat or motion sensors.
The screen is also welcome. It is a 7” touchscreen, which allows you to see all of the information as well as hear it. Great if you need to check an appointment, or see what is on your shopping list. All of the apps are there in one place so you can select them and make any changes there and then.
There is also voice match technology, so it can tell whether it is you asking for a check on your schedule or your housemate.
It is cheaper than the Echo Show, has more frequency connection platforms, and Google is seen as a more helpful platform than Amazon (thanks to their superior search engine knowledge). But there is a smaller screen, weaker audio and the interface isn’t quite as clear-cut and easy to navigate. There is no video camera, which will disappoint anyone who loves video calling but it is something you can get around.
Overall though, they’re pretty equal (especially when considering smart hubs are still a new technology). Your decision will just depend on whether you’re allegiances lie with Google or Amazon.
Specifications
- Frequencies: ZigBee, Bluetooth, Z-Wave, USB
- Compatible With: iOS/Android
We like
- Easy to set up
- Good price
- Sleek, simple design
- Good support for multiple products
We dislike
- No video camera
- Screen is small in comparison to other tablets
Final Verdict
For the Google lovers out there - it can answer your questions well and control pretty much any smart device, making it a real top choice
Echo Plus (2nd Gen)
Amazon Alexa has long led the way in smart speaker and voice assistant technology. But to control items, they usually still have to go through a dedicated hub.
However, the new Echo Plus has taken away the need for two different products thanks to built-in Zigbee. All you need to do is ask it to control your lighting, thermostats and security items, and it can do it all by itself.
Setting it up is hassle-free. Just say “Alexa, discover my devices”, and it will automatically find all compatible additions and add them to the network immediately. As long as they have Zigbee communication or work with Alexa, there will be a pairing.
There are still all of the classic specifications there which have made the Echo’s so popular. New premium speakers powered by Dolby play 360° audio offer even crisper vocals and dynamic bass response compared to earlier models, and you can also ask it to play music, read the news, check weather forecasts, set alarms and timers and Drop-In on anyone with an Echo or the Alexa app.
We also liked the little addition of an internal thermometer, so you can ask it to tell you the temperature in the current room, and it’ll give pretty exact results. Not an essential touch, but something which could come in handy if you have a smart thermometer or similar.
For the little jump in price compared to the original Echo’s, you get so much more for your money, and the improvements are clear and beneficial. If you were set on buying a voice assistant but didn’t know whether this newest Echo was worth it, we can clarify it most definitely is.
Specifications
- Frequencies: Zigbee, ‘Works With Alexa’
- Compatible With: iOS/Android
+ Downloads
Amazon Echo Plus 2nd Gen Starter Guide
Download
We like
- Looks stylish and modern
- Microphone and sound are clear
We dislike
- Only has Zigbee communication
Final Verdict
Amazon are currently leading the way in most areas of the smart home, and this speaker shows why. For the absolute latest model, this is the best choice.
Samsung SmartThings Hub v3
The Samsung smart hub works with a generous range of frequencies, meaning there is more chance that all of your smart home products will connect to it.
It is the heart of any SmartThings home and can connect to hundreds of items around your house, such as Bose, Philips, Yale, Honeywell and many, many more. Samsung also has a great range of their own products which would be great additions, such as motion sensors, moisture sensors and power outlets.
The hub can connect to your internet via an Ethernet connection, which is often a lot more powerful than your Wi-Fi and will ensure you aren’t let down by weak connections and interference when it matters the most. This newest version can also connect wirelessly though if you want to go for a hassle-free set-up.
There is also a powerful processor which will further keep everything going, so you can add as many gadgets as you’d like without worrying it will not be able to cope.
This newer version does not have the battery backup which the previous models did, which seems like a bit of a step back, but there are so many improvements which make it forgivable. Plus, it was a bit unnecessary unless all your other items were also backed up.
Also, if you’re migrating some gadgets across from their own individual bridges, there isn’t much support there. The instructions are a bit wordy. You have to disconnect it all before moving it over and wait for it all to communicate. But good things come to those who wait.
A few flaws do exist, but there isn’t actually an absolutely perfect hub as of yet. It is still all relatively new technology. However the Samsung does seem like one of the most rounded and advanced at the moment, and the range has increased greatly since they released their first hub.
Specifications
- Frequencies: ZigBee, Bluetooth, Z-Wave, USB
- Compatible With: iOS/Android
+ Downloads
Samsung SmartThings Hub User Guides
Download
We like
- Great choice of connectable products
- Can create automation between gadgets and appliances
- SmartThings Routines creates timings
We dislike
- Doesn’t connect to some of Samsung’s own products such as their TV
- Doesn’t work with Nest
Final Verdict
Not the most rounded of all the hubs out there, but does work with one of the largest selections of other items which is great if your home is full of third-party appliances.
Logitech Harmony Elite Advanced Remote Control Hub
If smart home entertainment is your primary set-up and you want to connect them all up together, then this is a great affordable choice.
A main aim of the Harmony is to reduce the need for multiple remotes clogging up your living room and coffee table drawers. It will connect up to 15 devices so you can control them all from one place, either your smartphone or the dedicated remote which comes with the package.
The Harmony Elite can connect to your speakers, game systems, televisions and set-top boxes as long as they are compatible. Plus, if your lights, window blinds and Thermostat are compatible, it can control those too. Overall, there are 270,000 entertainment and smart home devices on offer, and brands such as SmartThings, Nest and Hue.
The hub will pick up your commands, and send them to the relevant item. This is done in the form of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and infrared signals (IR), and even though it can be set up to command items directly with IR, the former option is the default setting. It connects to your wireless network using your phone’s Bluetooth to connect to the Wi-Fi, scans the network for compatible devices (such as your Sonos, Hue and smart TV’s) and then you’ll be guided through how to control it all.
The price isn’t bad for what you get when considering individual speaker hubs are not much less. Plus, the affordability of a product is in how much you use it, and this is a hub which will no doubt be used every day for multiple items.
It is best for entertainment-based gadgets and home cinemas though, so if you want the most reliable hub for your smart security, then it would be best going with a more rounded option above. There is no reason why you can’t purchase it separately to control items which others can’t though, such as your Sky box and Roku media player.
Specifications
- Frequencies: IR, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
- Compatible With: iOS, Android
+ Downloads
Logitech Harmony Elite Advanced Remote Control, Hub and App User Manual
Download
We like
- Set up is fast (if done right)
- Compatible with Alexa
- Separate buttons on remotes for lights/plugs
We dislike
- Communication between remote and devices can be glitchy
Final Verdict
Best for anyone with a million and one gadgets to control as opposed to a smart home for security reasons, but still worth considering for flexibility and the combination of items which are compatible