Two of the most popular Smart Home devices on the market today are the Amazon Alexa and the Google Home. While there are quite a few different Smart Home devices that are currently available, the Amazon Alexa and Google Home are exceptionally popular. Both of these devices can recognize your voice, and what it is that you are saying, to then activate various features that allow you to perform tasks with great ease.
One of the most popular Smart Home accessories is that of a Smart Plug. We’re going to dive into a further definition of what a Smart Plug is, later on in this guide, and we’re also going to dive into a deeper definition of what both the Amazon Alexa is, and what the Google Home is; but, for now, a Smart Plug is just like a regular plug/power-strip, with “Smart” capabilities.
When you plug a Smart Plug into your outlet, it can route power to all of the different devices that are connected to that particular plug. But, here’s the thing, a Smart Plug isn’t just any ordinary power connection device, it’s quite a bit different.
Within a Smart Plug, you’ll find various connectors that allow the device to connect to your Wi-Fi network. From this connection, you can access all of the data that the Smart Plug is producing, with regards to the devices that are currently plugged in.
You can see how much electricity the lamp is using, as well as how much energy your smartphone charger is using, among various other devices that may be plugged in at that time. And then, if you want to, you can turn off that particular outlet, so that those devices aren’t receiving any electricity.
This means that you can prevent those devices, even if they are plugged in, from receiving any electricity. As you can imagine, this does lead to a lot of savings when it comes to your electricity bill. While also giving you more control over the various aspects of your devices, in general.
People want to have access to this data. People want to know the amount of electricity that specific devices are using, and they want to know what they can cut back on, to save money.
They want to have access to this data, and more and more devices are giving people direct access to this data. This is good, because it allows people to have significantly more control over their technology, and their use of it, rather than the other way around.
As such, it is leading to things like smaller electricity bills, less energy usage, which is good for the environment, as well as people being more conscious of how they are using their technology.
In conjunction with this, there are two of the most popular Smart Home devices, the Amazon Alexa and Google Home. Today, a lot of people are buying Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices, and these people want to have access to the different data points that the Smart Plug is producing, and the features that the Smart Plug offers, by using Amazon Alexa, or Google Home, as a kind of “access point”.
In this buying guide, we’re going to be looking at a couple of things. We’re going to be looking at both the Amazon Alexa and Google Home, what it is that they do, and how they can make your life easier. But, we’re also going to be taking an in-depth look at the technology behind Smart Plugs.
You’re going to learn a lot more about how they work, what they do, and why you should purchase a good Smart Plug. Finally, once we’ve covered those two main subjects, we’re then going to look at what you need to look for when searching for the best Smart Plug that works with Amazon Alexa, and Google Home.
In this section of the buying guide, you’ll have all of the information you need to find the very best Smart Plug for yourself.
What Is Amazon Alexa?
Here’s the thing about Amazon Alexa; it isn’t a single device. It’s a piece of software, known as a “virtual assistant”. You can find this piece of software in a variety of different Amazon devices, such as the Amazon Echo, and the Amazon Echo Dot, along with many other Amazon products. Today, most of the devices Amazon releases have some sort of Alexa functionality.
As for what the Amazon Alexa does, the Amazon Alexa uses voice-recognition technology to recognize when you are speaking to Alexa, and then this technology figures out what you are saying, and what you are telling Alexa to do, and then the device you are using grants your request.
To give you an example, if you say “Alexa, what’s the weather supposed to be like today?” you’ll hear what the weather predictions for that day, in your local area, are. And the same goes for if you ask another question that pertains to your local area. If you have a fact-based question, such as what a word means, or a question about history, then Alexa will pull up an answer from the web.
That’s just a small slice of what the Amazon Alexa is capable of doing, because, depending on the device you are using, Alexa can also play music, podcasts, and audiobooks. There are a lot of different apps for Alexa, as well, and you can play games like “Trivial Pursuit” and “Jeopardy” using the Amazon Alexa.
In fact, according to Amazon, there are over fifty-thousand different applications for the Amazon Alexa, so you have access to a lot of different applications and possibilities.
You can find the Amazon Alexa on all kinds of different devices that Amazon has designed. Some of these are simple audio devices that consist of a speaker and a microphone, and others are tablets and things of that nature.
What Is Google Home?
Just like the Amazon Alexa, Google Home is a piece of software. There are a few different devices available, that you can use the Google Home software on, and one of the most popular Google Home devices is just like the Amazon Echo, since it’s a speaker that you can speak into.
In many ways, the two pieces of software are very similar. With Google Home, you can speak a voice command, such as a question or some type of request, and then the Google Home will respond to that and perform what you asked. For example, if you want to listen to music, or you have a question about how to say “Hello” in Chinese, the Google Home will give you an answer by using the web to find the proper answer, or using your music library to find the music you asked for.
With Google Home, it isn’t just restricted to a particular device, though. Instead, you can find the Google Home software available in most of the products that Google releases. And, this is especially true of their search engine, which has integrated various facets of the Google Home technology. Voice recognition is one of the biggest and most important ones, since this has allowed Google to make it easier for people to search for all kinds of things.
However, most people use the Google Home for one reason, in particular, and that’s as a kind of “Smart Hub” for their Smart Devices. These Smart Devices often consist of things like Smart TVs and Smart Thermostats and Smart Lights, along with a variety of other Smart Devices, all of which are directly compatible with the Google Home software.
Ultimately, Google Home is a piece of software that gives you direct, and immediate, access to all of the different Google devices that you are using, and that are tied to your main Google account, as well as to all of the different Smart Home devices that are connected to the Google Home.
These days, most Smart Home devices are able to be connected to Google Home. This includes Smart Plugs, which we’ll talk about a bit more, in just a moment. People can use Google Home to access their Smart Plug, the data that the Smart Plug is producing, with regards to energy usage, as well as to the individual features that allow you to control what the Smart Plug is doing, and which devices are receiving electricity, and which devices aren’t.
What, Exactly, Is A Smart Plug?
A Smart Plug is a type of power-strip that consists of at least one socket. Some of the more expensive Smart Plugs contain more than one socket. But, Smart Plugs are quite different from most power-strips, because Smart Plugs are designed to monitor the exact energy usage of the devices plugged into the Smart Plug, while also giving you the ability to automate when the devices are being powered, and when they are not. Using your smartphone, you can turn devices on or off, as well, with regards to which devices are receiving energy, and which ones aren’t.
Smart Plugs have only recently become popular. They are a very young technology, and they haven’t had a lot of time to develop, as of yet. In the near future, though, it is very likely that we’re going to be seeing a lot of really interesting developments, and that the technology is going to be used in a variety of interesting and unique ways.
When you own a Smart Plug, though, you can do a few things. And, one of the most noticeable things you can do is to make better use of the space you have. You’ll find Smart Plugs in all kinds of different sizes, each one designed to hold a different number of devices.
If you have only a few power outlets, a good Smart Plug allows you to make much better use of that single power outlet, since you’re able to have multiple devices plugged in, at once, in a single centralized location.
More importantly, though, you have direct access to those devices, and when they are on or off, so that there isn’t an excess of energy usage, for those particular devices. You can tell the Smart Plug to stop giving certain devices electricity, and you can do this at any time, using your smartphone.
Along with that, you can also automate when they are on and off, as well, and this makes it a lot easier for you to ensure that the adequate amount of electricity is being used. By doing this, you’ll save money on your electric bill, and you’ll also know just how much electricity those devices are using.
In the end, a Smart Plug is a wonderful investment that makes it significantly easier to obtain the necessary data that you will need to understand how much energy your devices are using, and the necessary features to control this.
With a Smart Plug that is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Home, you can control all of those features with either one of those pieces of software, and have access to the data just by telling Alexa, or Google Home, to tell you which devices are using energy, and how much energy those devices are using.
When Searching For The Very Best Smart Plug
Anytime you are searching for a device, with specific qualities and attributes, there are going to be a specific set of factors that you’re going to need to look at, and to be aware of.
In this section of the buying guide, we’re going to do just that, and we’re going to look at the key traits you’ll need to look for, and to be aware of, as well as some things you’ll need to think about, so that you can find the very best smart plug for yourself.
How Many Outlets Does The Smart Plug Have?
Right off the bat, the first thing you are going to need to consider, as a more practical consideration, is the number of outlets that are on the Smart Plug. If you intend to plug in a couple of different devices, then make sure there is at least three or four outlets. If more, then make sure there are more outlets.
In the end, this is pretty simple, but it’s important to be aware of the devices you want to plug into the device, so that you know how many outlets you need. Make a list of these devices, and then you’ll know how many outlets you need.
What Devices Does The Smart Plug Support?
When it comes to looking at Smart Plugs, you are going to need to consider the devices that the Smart Plug supports, when it comes to giving you access to the data that the Smart Plug is producing. Naturally, you’re going to want to make sure that it supports both Amazon Alexa, and Google Home. Or, perhaps, just one of those, depending on the device that you’re using.
However, it’s also very important that the device supports your smartphone, too. If you own an Android smartphone, but the Smart Plug only supports Apple smartphones, then this is going to make it much more difficult for you to use the Smart Plug.
Make sure that it supports your smartphone, so that you have direct access to the data that the Smart Plug is giving you, as well as control over the devices plugged into the Smart Plug. And, if you can find one that has this, web functionality is a nice feature to have. With web functionality, you’re able to go into your web browser, on your computer, to access that same data.
Some of the Smart Plugs that give you web access are going to be a bit more expensive, though, and it isn’t a feature that you will find as much. Though, this doesn’t mean that it is unpopular or lacking in functionality, because it can be incredibly easy, especially if you work on a computer, throughout the day.
What Features Does The Smart Plug Offer?
Most Smart Plugs have caught up with the times, and offer a few key features. These are things like energy monitoring, which gives you direct access to all of the data regarding how much energy a specific device is using. And then, you can turn off those devices, at any time, by using the Smart Device that is connected to the Smart Plug, as well as the ability to automate when those plugged-in devices are on, or off, so that you can save energy.
In this day-and-age, when you buy a Smart Plug, you need to make sure that it has those features. Those are the basic features that every Smart Plug should have, and if you end up purchasing a Smart Plug that doesn’t have those features, it’s just going to end up making that entire experience more annoying and inconvenient than it needs to be.
A good Smart Plug gives you direct access to all of the important and necessary data, with regards to the energy usage of your devices. And, by doing, it makes things significantly easier and more efficient for you to optimize your energy usage. And then, to aid in this, you can choose when those devices are on, and when they are off, which also helps to aid in energy optimization.
So, make sure that your Smart Plug has all of those features. These are basic features that are easy to find, and incredibly useful. They’ll make things a lot easier for you.
How Expensive Is The Smart Plug?
Whenever you buy any device, the cost is always going to be a big consideration. And, rightfully so, because there are a lot of devices out there that are just really expensive. Sometimes needlessly so.
With Smart Plugs, you’re going to be treated to a wide variety of different costs. Most of the time, you’ll find that Smart Plugs tend to be rather inexpensive, in comparison to other types of Smart Devices, but the Smart Plugs that have a lot of power outlets, and that give you the most functionality, aren’t always that cheap.
If you’re buying a smaller Smart Plug with one or two outlets, and all of the features we discussed above, then you’re going to end up paying around $20 to $30, generally speaking. This does depend on the brand that you buy, of course.
Now, if you’re buying a Smart Plug that is bigger, with more ports, and all of those really important and useful features, the price might be more like $70. Sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. But, generally around that. And, if you’re buying a Smart Plug that is similar to that, but without energy monitoring, for example, then the price may be around $50.
Warranties are a different subject altogether, but make sure that the Smart Plug you buy has, at the very least, a one-year warranty. This can be a life-saver, if anything happens to the Smart Plug. Although, it isn’t a necessity, due to the relatively low-cost of a Smart Plug.
Conclusion
A good Smart Plug is an exceptionally useful device that can make managing your electrical bill, and your devices, significantly easier. Using a good Smart Plug, you can know just how much energy your devices are using. You can automate this energy usage, choose which devices can be on and which devices need to be off.
From this, you can save a lot of money on your electricity bill, while also having more control over your devices, and a greater understanding of what is taking place, when they are plugged in.