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AMAZON’S Echo smart speaker was the tech success story of 2016.

This award-winning device took the world by storm with its ability to play music, search the web and even tell jokes simply by speaking to it.

Now it seems the Echo is getting some serious competition from Apple.

The US firm has just revealed its all-new HomePod and it could be the gadget to own this Christmas. So what’s so special about Apple’s Echo rival?

Well, this new internet-connected speaker prioritises sound quality alongside its smart credentials.

One of the biggest criticisms of the Echo is its mediocre music quality and Apple is focused on making sure its HomePod is top of the pops when it comes to sound.

This new mini boombox pairs a seven-beam-forming tweeter array alongside a four-inch upward-facing woofer.

Paired with an A8 chip as its smartscontrolling brain, this is said to create a powerful, distortion-free sound that offers real-time acoustic modelling.

On top of this, the speaker will play host to spatial awareness skills that allow it to sense its location within a room and attune its audio output.

More than a home speaker, HomePod is a smart assistant in its own right with its Siri power letting you make voice commands to perform tasks such as checking the weather. “HomePod features a six-microphone array so that when you talk to it and say those magic words, ‘Hey, Siri’, you see a wave-form light up on top and it’s ready to accept your command,” said Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing.

“Siri can interpret what you’re saying. You can even be sat across the room when loud music is playing.”

The speaker will work with HomeKitenabled smart home devices.

“If you have HomeKit devices set up, you can say simple things like turn the lights on, turn the temperature up, close the blinds halfway,” added Schiller.

The speaker will hit retailers in the US, UK and Australia this December with the rest of the world being forced to wait until 2018.

While UK pricing has yet to be confirmed, stateside the speaker will hit the shelves for $349.

APPLE’S WWDC developers conference revealed lots of shiny new gadgets. StarTech was there to see what Apple has in store and here’s everything you need to know.