SMARTER-THAN-EVER SPEAKERS

GOOGLE‘ NEST AUDIO’

This upgrade on the original ‘Home’ is all about the audio. The speaker is 75 per cent louder with 50 per cent more bass. Don’t want the assistant listening in on your life? A switch now turns the microphones off for instant privacy. £89.99 (store.google.com).

APPLE ‘ HOME POD MINI ’

The latest Siri-empowered speaker has punchy 360-degree sound but is just 8.5cm tall. Hold your iPhone near the top to switch from listening on the speaker to on your phone (or vice versa). £99 (apple.com/uk).

AMAZON‘ ECHO’

The fourth generation has gone spherical, with the speaker adjusting audio to suit the acoustics of your room. An updated processor also means Alexa is now speedier. £89.99 (amazon.co.uk).