SMART SPEAKERS UNDER 10000 IN INDIA

The Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) comes with small but meaningful improvements in the features and specifications, which will help in particular if you intend to use the smart speaker as an IoT and Smart Home controller. The new speaker has a temperature sensor, motion-detection sensor, and accelerometer for tap controls, as well as a slightly larger speaker driver.

Sound quality is decent, while connectivity is stable and reliable on the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen). The smart speaker also delivers the familiar and reliable Alexa experience, and is best used as a desktop or bedside smart speaker.

Amazon Echo Spot 2024 is the new bedside smart speaker that arrives seven years after its predecessor and marks several design and feature upgrades. Amazon has ditched the camera, which was present on the 2017 model, and now the Alexa-enabled device just features a touchscreen display and speakers. The new Echo Spot also features a semi-circular display, unlike the circular display on the older generation device. This is more bulkier and comes with Alexa integration.

The Google Nest Audio is the latest smart speaker from the Internet giant, and the long-awaited successor to the Google Home which was launched in 2016. Priced at Rs. 7,999, the Google Nest Audio comes with sophisticated looks, much improved sound, and reliable and ever-improving access to Google Assistant. The smart speaker not only works well for music thanks to its dual-driver setup, but also functions very well for controlling IoT appliances in the home.

The speaker is currently the best you can buy at under Rs. 10,000 in our opinion, offering better performance than the Amazon Echo (3rd Gen). That said, the much more affordable Mi Smart Speaker is the biggest competitor to the Google Nest Audio, offering similar loudness and capabilities at around half the price. However, the better sound quality does make the Google Nest Audio a worthwhile option to consider.

The Lenovo Smart Display 7 features a 7-inch screen with support for Google Assistant. The device is a smart speaker with a screen, and has an always-on microphone to listen for voice commands.

The Apple HomePod mini is a smaller, more affordable version of the HomePod, and is priced at Rs. 9,900. For the price, you get Apple's typically clinical approach to sound quality, along with tightly-controlled systems that work well with Apple products. Although small, the HomePod mini is the best-sounding compact smart speaker you can buy today.

If you have two, it gets even better, with support for proper stereo pairing that gives the system a much-enhanced soundstage and volume capabilities. Regardless of whether you have one or two, this is the best compact smart speaker you can buy today, assuming you're well invested in the Apple ecosystem.