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Holiday Shoppers Want an Amazon Echo, Bose Smart Speaker

When asked what type of smart speaker they'd rather buy in the coming weeks, 27 percent of respondents to a PCMag survey said the Amazon Echo. Google came in third behind Bose.

Chloe Albanesius
 & Chloe Albanesius Executive Editor, News

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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As Black Friday approaches, it appears that smart speakers will be among the gadgets getting price cuts.

But which one should you buy? According to a PCMag survey of 1,500 internet users, Amazon looks as though it might have a good holiday season. When asked what type of smart speaker they'd rather buy in the coming weeks, 27 percent of respondents said the Amazon Echo.

Following close behind was Bose with 26 percent, but that's essentially another win for Amazon since Bose's smart speakers—like the Bose Home Speaker 500—currently come with built-in Alexa voice control.

In third place at 19 percent is the Google Home, followed by Apple HomePod (10 percent), Sonos (5 percent), and JBL (5 percent). About 6 percent have no interest in a smart speaker.

Google recently bulked up its Home lineup with the addition of a touch-screen Echo Show competitor, the Google Home Hub. On Black Friday, the Home Hub will be $99 at various retailers, like Target and Walmart, a $50 discount. Look for similar discounts on the original Google Home and smaller Home Mini.

Amazon will also reduce the price of its Echo devices, though. Starting Nov. 22, the new Echo Show will be $179.99, a $50 discount, but the second-generation Echo will be just $60, or $30 off, among other deals it has planned.

Like Bose, Sonos products—the Sonos One speaker and Beam soundbar—work with Alexa. Google Assistant support is coming, too, but not until 2019. If you're looking for the Google Assistant, check out the JBL Link View.

About Our Expert

Chloe Albanesius

Chloe Albanesius

Executive Editor, News

My Experience

I started out covering tech policy in DC for The National Journal, where my beat included state-level tech news and all the congressional hearings and FCC meetings I could handle. I later covered Wall Street trading tech before switching gears to consumer tech. I now lead PCMag's news coverage.

My Areas of Expertise

Getting my start in DC means I still have a soft spot for tech policy; Congressional hearings can sometimes be as entertaining as a Bravo reality show, for better or worse. But PCMag is all about the technology we use every day, as well as keeping an eye out for the trends that will shape the industry in the years ahead (or flop on arrival). I've covered the rise of social media, the iOS vs. Android wars, the cord-cutting revolution that's now left us with hefty streaming bills, and the effort to stuff artificial intelligence into every product you could imagine. This job has taken me to CES in Vegas (one too many times), IFA in Berlin, and MWC in Barcelona. I also drove a Tesla 1,000 miles out west as part of our Best Mobile Networks project. Of late, my focus is on our hard-working team of reporters at PCMag, guiding and editing their robust coverage.

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