Smart speakers, virtual assistants or smart home speakers, whatever the name you choose to call them, are great, incredibly practical and will not get anywhere soon.
In fact, recent reports reveal the best smart speakers are now owned by one in six Americans and the property of smart speakers in the United Kingdom has doubled in six months.
That's because many consider smart loudspeakers to be the future of home automation, and they not only control their smart home devices, such as Philips Hue bulbs or smart locks.
But they also contain the intelligence within them to manage their agenda, record their shopping list and even learn more and more about their preferences over time.
Each of the speakers in our guide below has something called artificial intelligence (AI) within them. All the previous tasks (and many, many more) are carried out with the help of the AI and, without it, Amazon Echo, Google Home and Apple HomePod would simply be old habitual speakers.
All the smart speakers below are more than capable of making your smart home smarter, play songs and control your family.
But we know you're here because you want to find the best smart speaker for you, the one that works well with the devices you already have, you understand it better and, ultimately, it sounds better when it's time to rock out.
So take a look at our guide below and find one that suits your current configuration, your budget and the aesthetics of your home.
Remember: Be sure to keep checking, as we will update this list with the best smart speakers, as well as the main rumors of the new speakers to wait for soon at the end.
Apple HomePod
Excellent sound speaker, so smart
Great sound
Nice, minimal design
Siri precision is high
Siri's range is limited
Without transmission by Bluetooth
Apple Music Needed
The highly anticipated Apple HomePod finally entered the smart speaker battle for its shelf in early 2018.
The obvious benefit of an Apple HomePod over an Echo device or Google Home is that it will work well with your other Apple products. So, if you're an Apple fan, the HomePod may be a no-brainer.
But it's worth asking the same question that should always be asked when you want to splurge a new Apple product: how much money should you pay to have a device that perfectly fits the Apple ecosystem? [19659002] When we reviewed the device, we realized that we were reviewing two things at once: how the HomePod is a premium speaker and how it works as a smart home hub.
In the previous category, the HomePod is excellent, has an incredible sound and a very intuitive configuration. But in the latter, Siri is only mediocre in its implementation, and the fact that you can not leave Apple's ecosystem for many key functions also irritates.
[19659002] (Image: © Amazon)
Amazon Echo (2nd generation)
The Amazon speaker became even smarter (in appearance at least)
A new look
Lowest Price
New features of Alexa [19659002] More of the same
The Alexa application could be better
No more rotating dialing
If you are looking for a smart speaker that is Affordable and sound good quality to play your favorite tracks, the latest version of Amazon Echo is your safest bet. In fact, it is our best current option for the best smart speaker on the market at this time.
The newer, second-generation echo sounds better than Amazon's Echo Dot, but it's cheaper than Echo Plus and Apple's HomePod.
We do not think you should use it to replace your Hi-Fi equipment, but it's a great place to start if you want to try out what smart home life is like.
Amazon has also improved Echo's style since the first version was launched in 2015. The new fabric finishes will adapt better to most living rooms than the brushed aluminum of the original.
The only drawback is that the Echo does not have the clear volume sphere of Amazon's Echo Plus. It's also worth mentioning that Alexa often does not seem as smart as the Google Assistant. For the price, however, it is a great option that should satisfy the needs of most people.
