Hey Google? Is it you or Alexa?

OK, Google, so what's it going to be? Smart speakers, and the ability to use voice to listen to music, get traffic directions, the latest weather, news updates, recipes and more are among the most popular holiday gift items, with prices starting at around $25. (The Amazon Echo Dot even has a Black Friday sale price of $22.) But if you're new to the category, know that before you buy, you have to make a basic decision – which format to sign up to. Because both speakers don't always work with each other and once you master the commands for one, you're not going to want to use a different set on another speaker. For that reason, there are often simply "Google Homes," or "Alexa manors." Amazon, which launched the Echo speaker five years ago, in November 2014, continues to dominate smart speakers, with rival Google catching up.