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Best smart speakers with clocks in 2024
Why ask for the time when you could just see it on these smart speakers?
Smart speakers are a dime a dozen these days, and we're not complaining. From Google to Amazon (and let's not forget the many third-party offerings), you can use a smart speaker to control and automate your smart home devices, listen to music, make phone calls, and so much more. But aside from asking Google Assistant or Alexa what time it is, not many of these devices have integrated LED clocks.
Best smart home hubs in 2024
When you want all your smart home devices living under one roof, invest in a top-notch smart home hub
You can think of a smart home hub as the brains behind your entire Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri-powered ecosystem. Sometimes a hub can be as simple as a smart speaker, but maybe you prefer having a handful of controls at your fingertips. That’s where a smart display, such as the Amazon Echo Show or Google Nest Hub Max, comes into play. Not only do these interactive touchscreens give you up-to-date news and weather reports, but features like automated daily reminders, and smart home widgets can be customized in just a few taps.
Sure, you can use a smartphone to take control of your smart home, but a smart speaker is a much easier way to go about things. Not to mention, they often function as a smart home hub, especially if there are multiple people in your household. Adjusting the lights, locking the door, and setting the thermostat is much easier when you don't have to reach for your phone to talk to Alexa or Google Assistant. All you need to do is use your voice.
Sonos Arc vs. Beam (Gen 2): Which is superior soundbar?
Both are great soundbars but one is the more obvious choice for most users
Founded in 2002, Sonos quickly established itself as a disruptor in the multi-room home audio category. The company was the first to make whole-home audio systems easy for consumers to install themselves, simple to operate, and fully modular.
You can broadcast messages if you have at least two Google Home or Nest speakers in your house. This feature repeats your message on all speakers (or specified ones), saving you from yelling messages across multiple rooms. This feature is compatible with all Google Assistant speakers. You don't need to rely on Google's Nest products to broadcast messages.
Amazon Echo: Essential tips for your first smart speaker
From basic uses to hidden Easter eggs, here's how to get the most out of your Echo
Amazon's lineup of smart home devices has grown over the years. If you recently switched to the Amazon Alexa ecosystem, you might have some questions. Questions like, "What can an Echo Dot do?" or "Is the flagship Echo Studio worth it?" might be at the forefront of your mind. But most of all, you want to know the tricks of the trade.
Best Amazon Alexa-powered speakers in 2024
These smart speakers offer premium sound coupled with the advanced functionality of Amazon's Alexa
The best Amazon Alexa-powered speakers have one thing going for them over models sporting other voice assistants. Unlike Apple's Siri, the two HomePod options, and the only slightly longer list of Google Assistant smart speakers, you have a lot of choices when it comes to Alexa-enabled options. It also helps that there are so many Alexa-enabled non-speaker smart devices to pair with.
We didn't expect this $18 Echo Pop and smart bulb bundle to last past Black Friday
You can control the smart bulb with the Echo speaker!
Entry-level smart speakers have been extremely affordable lately: Nest Minis and Echo Dots are practically free anymore, with Google and Amazon giving them out like candy for various promotions over the years. Still, this Cyber Monday weekend smart speaker deal bears mentioning: right now, for $18, you can get an Echo Pop speaker and a full-color TP-Link smart light bulb. At full price, this bundle would cost $63, making for a savings of $45 — 71% off.
Amazon Echo: Our top Alexa tips and tricks to keep you organized and on task
You can do more than just check the weather
Whether you've had an Amazon Echo for a long time or recently switched to the Amazon ecosystem, you've probably grasped the basic Amazon Echo features. But besides setting kitchen timers and asking for the daily weather forecast, Amazon's Alexa-powered speakers have some lesser-known features that make customizing your smart home even better. Below are the top Amazon Echo and Echo Show tips and tricks to streamline your Alexa ecosystem.
A smart home can make you more productive and complement your family's life, but it can be frustrating when it doesn't work correctly. An Alexa-compatible smart home system seems the logical choice for those beginning to build their smart home thanks to its ease of use and low cost. But Alexa devices sometimes run into trouble. Most of these issues are easy to fix. Here's how.
The Amazon Echo Dot, now in its fourth generation, is the budget option for Amazon's Echo smart speakers. Despite being cost-effective, it's still an excellent choice for those seeking an Alexa-compatible smart speaker. The Echo Dot has many features, most of which revolve around Amazon Alexa's capabilities. It functions as a smart speaker, smart home hub, or a simple speaker for playing music. This guide tells you everything you need to know about the Echo Dot, including what it is, what it can do, and how to use it.
JBL's new smart speakers offer the best of two voice assistant worlds
Enjoy simultaneous access and interoperability between Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa
JBL makes speakers for a variety of applications, ranging from studio use to in-ear and over-ear headphones. The brand also makes fantastic smart speakers suitable for indoor and outdoor use. Drawing inspiration from its classic L100 range from the 70s, Harman announced the new JBL Authentics range of smart speakers at IFA this year, which is currently underway in Berlin, Germany. These speakers give you access to Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa simultaneously, making your smart home setup much easier to operate.
How to set up Sonos
Sonos speakers, bridges, and other devices are easy to set up with the app. Here's how to do it
Sonos produces a range of excellent home speakers that are packed with smart features and ready for a wide range of sound services. They're one of the best options if you want both Google Assistant and Alexa in your speakers. Plus, they are a common choice for a big home entertainment system upgrade. We're big fans of the Sonos Era 300 for whole-room sound.
Google Nest Mini vs. Apple HomePod Mini: Small smart speaker showdown
These little wonders are strong contenders for smart home beginners
For a future-proof home, smart devices are obvious. Smart speakers can act as hubs to control your smart home, from lights, locks, cameras, and even window blinds. And in that respect, size doesn't indicate performance — so long as you’re not too worried about the ‘speaker’ part of smart speakers.
Amazon is driving the prices even lower on its Echo speaker lineup with the new Echo Pop. This new model trims a few of the sensors from the Echo Dot (Gen 4 or 5) and simplifies the design to bring its retail price to $40 while actually increasing the speaker driver size a touch.
Apple HomePod (2nd gen) review: A great speaker with frustrating limitations
Not just the usual Apple caveats, either
There’s no shortage of killer smart speakers that you can talk to the Google Assistant or Amazon’s Alexa through, but if you’re after Apple’s Siri, your only option is to go straight to the source. Apple’s second-generation HomePod is the company’s current flagship smart speaker, offering booming sound and deep ecosystem integration at a premium $300. It’s plenty capable, but unless you’re living the full Apple lifestyle, the HomePod probably isn’t for you.
When it comes to smart speakers, there are many great options, but for ones that also function as a smart home hub, there are really just two names: Amazon and Apple (though Google is starting to make some noise with their offerings). Amazon seems to have a stranglehold between its full-sized, if somewhat elderly Echo, the newer Echo Dot (5th Gen), the Echo Show, and Echo Studio, along with all the older discounted generations of each model that’s still available.
How to reset your Amazon Echo smart device and Alexa
Wipe your Echo's data, whether you're fixing a bug or selling it
If your Amazon Echo device is unresponsive or doesn't work correctly, don't panic! You can perform a factory reset to get it up and running again. A factory reset clears all the data stored on the device, resetting it to its state when it left the factory. A factory reset can get an unresponsive or defective Amazon Echo device working again. It's also useful for clearing your personal data when selling or trading the device.
How to create and use Google Home or Nest speaker groups
Speaker groups let you control multiple Google Home devices as one
All Google Assistant-compatible smart speakers can be grouped for ease of control. These groups sync audio between devices, so you can join in on the music from any device while it's playing. We show you how to set up and use Google Home speaker groups from the Google Home app. However, if you're just getting started with Google's array of smart home devices, you'll want to prepare with our in-depth explainer of Google Home.
Amazon's Echo devices are among the best smart speakers available on the market, mostly because they include innovative features such as Wi-Fi extenders, thermometers, and smart home hubs. There's a bunch of them to pick from, ranging from the modest Echo Dot to the higher-end Echo Studio, so knowing which one is best for you isn't easy. Let's dive deep into their specs and price to find the perfect one for your lifestyle and needs.