Wired has published its 2026 guide to the best smart speakers, comparing offerings from Amazon, Google and Apple after testing nearly every model released over the past decade. The guide matters because most buyers already lean towards one of these three "ecosystems" depending on their phone or existing devices, and voice assistants have recently gained AI upgrades that change how the speakers perform. The update highlights Google's first new smart speaker in years, reflecting renewed competition in a category that had otherwise stagnated.

The top picks are the Google Home Speaker (£/$100, best for Google users), the Amazon Echo Dot Max (£/$100, best Alexa speaker) and the Apple HomePod Mini (£/$129, best Apple speaker). The reviewer praises the Google Home Speaker's sound quality and design, borrowed partly from the HomePod Mini and older Nest Mini, and notes it now runs Google Gemini by default instead of Google Assistant, offering more natural, human-like responses, albeit sometimes verbose. However, several advanced Gemini and camera features are locked behind new "Google Home Premium" subscription tiers costing $10–$20 per month ($100–$200 annually).