Sales of smart speakers are soaring despite some people’s concerns over privacy, with Amazon’s Alexa leading the charge into homes in various Echo devices and Google’s Home and Assistant snapping at its heels.
They come in various shapes, sizes and prices, but if you just want to dip your toe into the burgeoning voice-powered world, what’s the cheapest way to get Alexa or Google Assistant into your home?
Phone
RRP: from free
Voice assistants don’t actually need a dedicated speaker to work. If you have a modern smartphone chances are you either already have Google Assistant, if you have an Android phone, or can install the app on an iPhone. The same goes for Amazon’s Alexa, which can even be set as the default voice assistant on an Android phone. You could also try Siri on an iPhone, but it isn’t as capable.
On an Android phone you can set the wakeword “OK, Google” to open Google Assistant even when the phone is off, so you can do hands-free commands and get an idea of what a taste of a smart speaker would be like. With the Alexa app open you can so similar. On an iPhone you’ll need the app open to access either Google Assistant or Alexa.
Some phones such as Google’s Pixel 3, even have stands and accessories that turn them into smart displays with hands-free voice commands.
Audio quality and volume will likely be lamentable if not using headphones. You can always try a Bluetooth speaker hooked up to your phone but given the price of the standalone smart speakers – from £25 – it’s unlikely to be worth it.
Verdict
The simple way to sample voice assistants and save money if you discover that you’re not really interested in asking about the latest score in the Champions League.
Google Home Mini
RRP: £49 - deals as low as £29
If Google Assistant is the one you want, the cheapest of Google’s Home voice-controlled speakers should be at the top of your list. The Google Home Mini is a small circular, fabric-covered puck with a speaker that points straight up out the top.
It is available in light grey, dark grey, pink and a pale blue, with a touch-sensitive top for controlling volume. A row of LED lights shine through the fabric to show when it’s listening to you, while the speaker is loud and clear enough to easily project Google Assistant across a room.
The Home Mini is really good at hearing you too, and Google Assistant’s understanding of natural language is unparalleled. Even if you mess up your question, nine times out of 10 it’ll still understand what you meant.
Audio quality is reasonable for a small speaker, and you can Chromecast to it or use it as a Bluetooth speaker, if talking to it gets old. There’s a mic mute switch on the bottom to stop it listening to you.
Verdict
Small, cheap and effective, the Home Mini is the one to get if you’re on-board with Google
Amazon Echo Dot
RRP: £50 - deals as low as £25
The cheapest complete Alexa speaker is the Echo Dot, and its popularity is well deserved. Now in its third generation, the small puck now comes in white, black or grey with a plastic top and fabric sides.
The light ring around the top shows you when Alexa is listening to you, and where it thinks you’re speaking from. There are buttons on the top for muting the mic, changing volume and triggering Alexa without the wakeword.
The Echo Dot can be used as a Bluetooth speaker or with Spotify connect, but it can also connect to another set of speakers via Bluetooth or a 3.5mm audio socket, which makes it a good upgrade for an existing stereo.
On its own the Echo Dot sounds better than the Google Home Mini, projecting the sound through the fabric sides. Alexa can also hear you over more ambient noise on the Echo Dot than Google Assistant through the Home Mini, but it can’t match its rival on general knowledge or understanding.
Verdict
Good connectivity and great sound for the size
Amazon Echo Input
RRP: £35 - deals as low as £20
The cheapest way to make an existing set of speakers or stereo Alexa-enabled is the new Echo Input, which is basically an Echo Dot without any speaker at all.
It has all the smarts, mics, mute and action buttons that makes the Echo Dot work, but must be connected via either Bluetooth or the 3.5mm audio output to another speaker for you to hear Alexa or anything else.
You can also use the Echo Input as a Bluetooth input or Spotify connect for the attached speakers, making it a good way to add modern connectivity to old kit. Amazon has a list of compatible Bluetooth speakers, but any should work in theory.
At just 14mm thick and 80mm in diameter the Echo Input is fairly small and discrete, available in black or white. But there can be issues when connected to some Bluetooth or other speakers that put themselves into power-saving modes. This means the first words spoken by Alexa after a short period of silence are often missed.
Verdict
For the seasoned Alexa veteran that wants to add the voice assistant to an existing stereo for cheaper than an Echo Dot
Amazon Fire tablet
RRP: £50 - deals as low as £30
Alexa isn’t limited to just smart speakers. It powers smart displays too, such as the £220 Echo Show. But you don’t need to spend anywhere near that much thanks to Amazon’s £50 Fire 7 Android tablet, which has hands-free Alexa built in.
All you need is a seventh-generation or later Fire 7, Fire HD 8 (around £59) or Fire HD 10 (tablet (£110) running the latest software and plugged into a power adapter. Then you can put it into “Show Mode” and talk to it like a smart display. There’s even an optional Show Mode Charging dock (from £40) for some models to automatically turn the tablet into a budget Echo Show.
As a smart display Alexa can show you the weather, the latest scores, reminders and calendar entries. It can play videos, the news, control smart home devices, set timers and any number of any other things.
You might have to shout a bit more towards the tablet than a real Echo device and it won’t sound as good, but if you’ve already got a Fire 7 or similar about the house it’s worth a go.
Verdict
An Echo Show-like smart display on a budget is actually really good
What is a smart speaker?
Smart speakers are simply speakers with microphones and an internet connection, which allow you to issue commands via voice to a virtual assistant such as Google’s Assistant or Amazon’s Alexa.
Most smart speakers work the same way. A chip on the device uses the device’s microphones to listen out for a wakeword or phrase such as “Alexa” or “hey, Google”. Once it thinks it hears the phrase it starts listening to the following speech, sending it across the internet to Amazon or Google’s servers for interpretation.
Once it’s worked out what you were saying the voice assistant then responds with an answer or action. It may also realise you weren’t talking to it and shuts back down.
Alexa and Google Assistant can perform any number of tasks, ranging from simple things such as timers and alarms to answering questions, finding recipes or even the latest headlines. But most people primarily use them for listening to the radio or playing music, with voice control for finding tracks and adjusting the volume.
