In today’s digital world, where our phones can recognize faces and watches can track health, why should speakers play music but do a lot more? When everything from cars to doorbells and refrigerators is smart, speakers should, too, be.

If you are buying a smart speaker for the first time or looking to upgrade, deciding what features to consider can be a little daunting. With the advancement in the tech industry, the features that were state-of-the-art a year back can be average today. From streaming music to controlling smart appliances, smart speakers have evolved beyond their initial functionalities. Now, it has reshaped how we live and work by offering unmatched convenience. To find the best smart speaker, you need to consider a few things.

First, you must decide which voice assistant you want – Google Assistant, Amazon’s Alexa, or Apple’s Siri. Next, what features are your top concerns: music quality, compatibility with other smart home devices, touchscreen, or portability? Don’t worry. We will help you pick the best out of the dozens of options, including deals and discounts, so you can save maximum at the end of the year. Smart speakers are expensive, so CouponKnight brings you the best deals from Walmart and Best Buy to let you shop within your budget. Continue reading to know more.

1. Best Google Assistant Speaker

Google Nest Audio Smart Speaker (Sand) with Google Nest Hub 2nd Gen (Charcoal)

Google Nest Audio Smart Speaker with Google Nest Hub is the most popular choice in the smart speaker category. This duo delivers high-quality audio and a display element to accompany voice responses.

• Google Nest Audio Smart Speaker

Google Nest Audio Smart Speaker features built-in Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity with voice control support and home automation. It connects seamlessly to your home’s wireless network, thus allowing you to control all your smart devices. Besides playing music, it can help with the weather report, traffic conditions, your favorite sports score, personalized information, or anything you want to search on Google using voice commands. It has a pillow-like shape and great sound quality and easily fits in a small or medium-sized room.

• Google Nest Hub (2^nd Generation)

Google Nest Hub, equipped with built-in Bluetooth, WiFi connectivity, and temperature sensor, allows you to enjoy all the functionalities of Google Assistant and a 7-inch touchscreen. You can search online content or stream your favorite podcast on the screen besides group video calling through Google Meet or Zoom, making it a favorite choice if you connect with friends or colleagues through these apps and services. The touchscreen simplifies your on-screen app navigation and more. Buy this duo from Walmart at $190.99, and to save a few bucks, check out  Walmart Coupons & Promo Codes.

2. Best Alexa Speaker

Amazon Echo (4th Gen)

Check out the all-new Echo with a sphere-shaped look and premium sound quality. It features a built-in Zigbee smart home hub and a temperature sensor that allows you to voice control the lights of your rooms, digital locks, or smoke alarms when you are not home.

You can stream songs from Amazon or Apple Music, listen to podcasts and radio stations, get weather updates, make a call, and much more. Netflix, Disney+, YouTube, Spotify, and Apple TV+ are the featured streaming services you can enjoy with Amazon Echo. It has multiple layers of privacy protection and controls, including a microphone off button to disconnect the microphone when not in use.

A stronger bass response and a room-filling sound with plenty of clarity puts Echo over Google Assistant in the race of smart speakers. Its nominal price of $59.99 at Best Buy makes it a popular choice. Check out the Best Buy Coupons for Amazon Echo and upgrade your home today before the new year.

3. Best Mini Alexa Speaker

Amazon Echo Dot With Clock (5th Gen)

If you are looking for a smart speaker that you can place at the bedside to check what time of the day it is, then the 5^th Gen Amazon Echo Dot With Clock is the right choice for you. With improved audio experience, deeper bass, more vibrant sound, and portable size, you will surely love it.

An improved LED display helps you see the time at a glance. You can ask Alexa to play your favorite music albums, check on audiobooks, and more. It sets your hands free, and if you need extra morning time, just tap the Dot clock to snooze the alarm for you.

It has the same price as Amazon Echo (4^th Gen). Buy it from Best Buy today.

4. Best Apple Siri Speaker

Apple HomePod (2nd Generation, 2023)

If you want groundbreaking premium sound and rich bass with detailed highs and are ready to spend more, then Apple HomePod with Siri is the right choice. Its advanced computational audio delivers immersive, room-filling sound, making the atmosphere more enjoyable while streaming music or movies. Its excellent performance, with a home hub connecting and controlling all smart home appliances and built-in sensors for temperature and humidity, makes it a complete package.

HomePod requires a U1‑equipped iPhone running iOS 16.2 or later for setup. Buy it from Best Buy and enjoy 3 months of free Apple TV+ subscription.

5. Best Dolby Atmos Speaker

Sonos Era 300 Voice-Controlled Wireless Smart Speaker

Sonos Era 300 is a butt-shaped white speaker that is the best for spatial audio tracks. It can project audio throughout your room with custom waveguides that disperse sound, creating a fantastic soundstage for you to enjoy all around the room. It features a Trueplay™ tuning technology that analyzes all the acoustic factors like room size, speaker position, layout, etc, to adjust the woofers accordingly to produce the best quality sound possible. This makes the Sono Era expensive, but its performance is worth the price.

You can enjoy free music and live stations from around the world on Sonos Radio. With built-in Alexa, you can play music, check out weather forecasts and news, set alarms, and more completely hands-free.

Other Smart Speaker Options

There are some other smart speakers you may like:

• Bose Home Speaker 300 with Google Assistant has solid bass and 360-degree surround sound, giving a lifelike feel. It features a built-in Google Assistant that allows you to enjoy music more instantly when you command. It is compatible with Apple AirPlay 2, and you can enjoy integrated music services like Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, or anything else from your phone or tablet. There are three control features: ‘voice, tap on the top presets, or the Bose Music app .’The Bose app allows multiple users to personalize their content and preferences. It’s available at Walmart for $199.00.
• Amazon’s Echo Studio is another good speaker with a powerful bass and high-pitched volume. It features spatial audio processing technology and 5 speakers that improve the sound clarity with steep highs and dynamic midrange. Its built-in smart home hub allows Alexa to control Zigbee and Matter-compatible devices. You can stream Amazon Music or Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, or Tidal with Dolby Atoms audio format. Its specialty lies in its automatic analysis of the acoustics of your room to optimize the sound quality. Buy it from Walmart ($194.95) or Best Buy ($197.00) and upgrade your home today.

Smart Speaker FAQs

Q1. How should you speak to your smart speaker?

• All smart speakers respond to a wake-up call, like “Hey Google” for Google Assistant, “Alexa” for Amazon Alexa, and “Siri” for Siri. Whichever brand you buy, once the speaker indicates that it’s listening, you can ask whatever you want.
• All three voice assistants use specific syntax you need to use correctly to function. Alexa works in a certain way, so once you get used to the syntax, it’s pretty easy to talk to your speaker. However, Alexa is not at the top in recognizing natural language. Google Assistant and Siri are much better and easier to communicate with.

Q2. How to use the smart speaker to manage your smart home devices?

• Nowadays, Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri can control almost all smart home appliances. With Alexa, Google apps, and Siri’s features, you can configure and manage all your compatible devices.
• Amazon Echo and Echo Studio support the Zigbee standard, i.e., they work with third-party devices. Most smart home devices are WiFi and Bluetooth-enabled; thus, communication between your smart speakers and smart appliances becomes easy and simple.
• In case you buy Siri, all your smart devices need to be HomeKit-compatible, and you need to have a HomePod, iPad, or Apple TV to use as a hub.

Q3. Can the smart speaker be used to make calls?

• All smart speakers allow you to make calls. Alexa and Google can make free calls directly. Google Assistant can call your Google contacts only in the US and Canada. However, Alexa can also call Mexico besides the US and Canada, but not toll-free numbers. For Siri to make a call, it has to say “Hey Siri” and then call a number (any specific number) or “call” or “dial” and then speak out each number separately.

Q4. Which smart speaker is the loudest?

• Amazon Echo Studio is the loudest if compared to Google and Apple. Sonos Era also has a loud and clear sound. Bose speakers are the best if the price is not a constraint.

Q5. Which smart speaker is best for free music?

• Google owns YouTube, so you can play free music on Google smart speakers. But to access premium music streaming services, you must buy a subscription for $10 monthly.
• Amazon can play free music, too. If you have paid subscriptions to Pandora, Spotify, or other music streaming platforms, then Alexa can play music from these services. You can also play music from Amazon Prime’s vast catalog with an Amazon Prime account.

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