Conclusion

Here is the summary of the things I like and dislike with the Sony LS-F50G:

Likes

• Attractive design
• Clock
• Weighty build quality
• Washable speaker grill
• Bluetooth and NFC
• Progress indicator while updating

Dislikes

• Runs hotter compared to the Google Home
• Hand gestures is a useless feature
• Pointless Bluetooth feature
• More expensive than Google Home
• Bluetooth should have included microphone

On The Fence

• Questionable audio quality

Which Google Assistant Should You Buy?

For me the original Google Home is the clear winner. Unfortunately Sony is only two steps away from perfection:

1. Battery power: allowing me to use this speaker in the great outdoors. Sony should have done away with the so called sub-woofer and use that space for a lithium ion battery pack instead.
2. Microphone support. Imagine pairing this to a computer and then using the Sony for video conferencing! Imagine using this as a hands free kit for your mobile phone (No more worries about mobile phone radiations!)

There is no question the Sony is the better built speaker. The removable speaker grill will be more useful than you think. Additions like Bluetooth, NFC, hand gestures and the clock (doubles as a progress indicator) are nice touches. However they are not tied in well enough to push it over the mark. For me they do not justify the higher price. Sony effectively priced itself out. Google Home can be purchased for less than $100 if you are patient enough to wait for a deal. There is also the cheaper Google Mini if you’re only interested in Google Assistant duties.

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