Smart Speakers And The Battle For Control Of The Digital Living Room

We’re seeing a wider range of size, shape, and functionality when it comes to A.I. assistant-powered smart speakers. The first-generation speakers were tabletop devices designed to get us used to the notion of speaking to Google Now, Amazon Alexa, and Microsoft Cortana.

- Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

These were followed by smaller, puck-like speakers, which were less powerful, but much friendlier to the eye and to the wallet. The likes of Amazon Echo Dot and Google Home Mini sell for less than $100.

Now that the idea of a device that is constantly listening inside our homes (and sometimes transmitting the wrong recordings to god-knows-where) has become widely accepted, we are seeing the third wave of smart speakers.

Hi-Fi in the mix

The next wave comes from companies aiming for the Hi-Fi segment of the market. Not only are we seeing smart speakers with all the requisite features to control smart homes, search the Web, set alarms and appointments, and access a wide array of music streaming services, these devices now also sound great.