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Five best smart speakers

Play music, ask questions and make calls with the latest at-home tech

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1. Google Nest Hub Max
2. Amazon Echo
3. Apple HomePod Mini
4. JBL Link Portable
5. Sonos One

By The Week Staff

last updated 1 March 2021

1. Google Nest Hub Max

Google

The Hub Max is great for those who want a smart speaker that doubles up as a display – ideal for the kitchen. It uses its camera to identify different members of your house and can host calls via Google Meet.

£219; currys.co.uk

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2. Amazon Echo

Amazon

With a new smart, spherical design, Amazon’s Echo is reasonably priced for the capabilities it has. It is a great speaker for playing music, and the Alexa assistant can connect to lots of smart tech.

£90; currys.co.uk

3. Apple HomePod Mini

Apple

This compact speaker is just 8.4cm tall and 9.8cm wide. Its Siri assistant responds to the phrase “play something I’ll like” by introducing you to music you haven’t listened to but would likely enjoy.

£99; johnlewis.com

4. JBL Link Portable

JBL

This 360° speaker is not only smart but also highly portable. You can carry it around, then pop it back onto its dock to charge. It uses Google Assistant to answer your questions and is also water-resistant.

£130; uk.jbl.com

5. Sonos One

Sonos

If you’re looking for a speaker with top sound quality that also happens to be smart, look to Sonos. It’s also great for stable multi-room audio, and is compatible with Alexa, Google and Apple assistants.

£199; sonos.com

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