Mini smart speakers

Small enough to sit on the coffee table or be tucked away on the kitchen bench, these tiny speakers bring Google and Amazon's talkative smart assistants to life. Rather than reaching for your smartphone, you can simply talk to these speakers to ask questions or get things done. They only respond after you say "OK Google" or "Alexa", with a microphone mute button for when you want to ensure they're not listening. They can answer questions from "How many grams in an ounce of butter?" to "Where is the nearest supermarket?", but Google has a head start in Australia and is more likely to know when the supermarket closes. Both speakers let you dictate shopping lists but they can't order shopping online yet. You can tap into some local services, like ordering a pizza or hailing an Uber. You can also set timers, add to your to-do list, check your calendar appointments and much more. These speakers also let you control smart home gear, like smart light bulbs, as well as tap into streaming music services including internet radio and podcasts. Apple fans might look to the $499 Siri-powered HomePod but unfortunately there isn't a more affordable HomePod Mini.

AMAZON ECHO DOT $79

With a tiny eight-centimetre footprint and standing only three centimetres tall, the Echo Dot is easy to tuck out of the way – as long as it can see your Wi-Fi network and has access to a power point. You find volume buttons on top but, similar to the Home Mini, if your hands are full you can simply ask Alexa to adjust the volume or stop the music. The Echo Dot is fine for spoken word content but music sounds very harsh and tinny, especially in bass-heavy songs.