AMAZON ECHO (4TH GEN)

SMART HOME GADGET OF THE YEAR

In a year where Amazon, Apple and Google went head to head (to head) with sub-£100 speakers they all claimed would do your streamed songs justice, in the end it was the newly orb-shaped Echo’s smart home capabilities that won us over. The inclusion of a built-in Zigbee hub – alongside our go-to robo assistant, Alexa, responding to requests in half the time thanks to a new AZ1 neural processor – proved an irresistible combination that the admittedly musically talented Apple Homepod Mini and Google Nest Audio couldn’t match. And when it comes to streaming, Alexa supports all major services too. Such a giver. £90 / amazon.co.uk

NOMINEES

Ring Indoor Cam Google Nest Audio Apple Homepod Mini Dyson 360 Heurist