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
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.
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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.
3. Apple HomePod Mini
Apple
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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.
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.
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.