Review: Google Home

When we last tested the Google Home speaker, we were impressed with the concept and usability, and we did not get too hung up on the sound. Now that the competitors have come up with the same opportunities, it must be considered on new premises, where the sound quality now weighs heavier.

Google Home easily connects compatible gadgets in your home, such as smart lights, robotic vacuum cleaners, Chromecast streaming, and more.

Google Home manages things easily, and it’s great to speak Norwegian. The vocabulary has potential, you have to test a bit to find commands that work. Naming the products is also important. For example, the light in the attic can advantageously be called “The light in the attic” in the app, so you can say: “OK, Google, turn on the light in the attic”.

It must be possible to combine several commands into a so-called routine. Then you can, for example, say: “OK, Google, it’s a football match”, then the TV goes to the right channel, the stereo system to the right sound mode and – what do we know – the oven is turned on because now the frozen pizza is going to pers. This does not work in Norway, but hopefully soon.

Unfortunately, Google Home disappoints on audio. The bass is fuller than with the much cheaper Home Mini. But it sounds closed and confined, which is silly when you hear what the voice assistant and newscasts say. In return, Google Home has bidirectional Bluetooth, so the speaker can be connected to other wireless speakers or headphones, or streamed from the mobile to Home.

Conclusion

Google Home is easy to use and only gets smarter as you use it. Unfortunately, the sound is confined, and now that it has received competition, we have to draw much more for this than when we tested it for the first time. There are in fact more well-sounding alternatives with the same voice control. We would rather buy the Home Mini or any of the other Google Home speakers in this test.