The Google Home Hub is a big idea in a compact package. Bucking the trend of larger and larger smart displays, this latest container for the varied talents of the Google Assistant occupies a smaller footprint than most of its rivals demand.

Cute style makes for a less-threatening smart display; Google Assistant is as capable as ever; Smart home controls are easily laid-out and convenient; Aggressively priced; No camera should please privacy fans

Speaker isn't the best for music playback; Absence of a camera may frustrate some

Google has finally made Google Home available in the UK. Five months after its original U.S debut, but how does...

Great microphone performance; Customisable design; Expansive skill set; Effortless setup; Unobtrusive

Setting aside the hype, Google Home amounts to a slightly more capable take on Amazon's voice-activated Internet of Things (IoT) device, the Echo. assistant This is not necessarily a bad thing, but those hoping for more from Home, especially in the Google Assistant department, will likely be at...

Sleek looking; Actually officially available in Canada; Reasonable price tag

Google Assistant sometimes disappoints; Multi-user support isn't available in Canada; Sound quality is lacklustre

If you already frequent Google.com to look up stuff on the Web, why not fill the vast white space on that page with news you read and online tools you need Google Home, a personal Web page service, can wrap together all sorts of content so that you don't have to type long URLs and visit multiple...

Google Home is easy to set up and maintain; organizes feeds within a clean page layout; integrates Google tools and third-party content

Google Home offers only six tabs to organize content; Google tailors search results to your lookups while you're signed in

This compact system fits almost anywhere and has given me plenty of signal from inside wooden cabinets. I do wish the units had a power switch.

Works well with normal set-up routine; Plenty of signal strength in my home; No need so far to change channels; Turns on each morning with no fuss

I'm wondering what if anything Google is learning about me thru this product that of course is a conduit for my Internet traffic

Great sound, clear and can get really loud with the same sound quality. Since the purchase of the speaker, it has updated several times to improve performance. The assistent can understand almost everything, although being the product that it is, I'd expect a little more commands but it will get...

Does two decades of search experience give Home the upper hand over Amazon Echo In terms of search results, yes. But is it the better product That really depends on what you are after from a Wi-Fi connected speaker and what products you already have in your home.

Good-looking design will integrate anywhere around the home; Touch panel controls; In-depth conversational and search-based results; Supports up to six users

Less third-party app support than Amazon Echo; Microphone pick-up limited when music is playing

Although Amazon has been through a slew of Amazon Echo devices since launch, Google has been far more relaxed about its own range of products. Launching back in 2017 in the UK, the Google Home hasn't seen a refresh yet; don't let that put you off, as it's still a current product and, far more...

Great design; Decent sound; Reasonable price point; Conversational assistant; Easy setup

Limited smart home compatibility; Speaker isn't very loud; Needs to be plugged in at all times

Google Home is an excellent entry into the burgeoning smart speaker race that's revving up between the big US technology companies. Amazon's Echo and Alexa have a head start, but Google's Assistant is highly capable in many ways, but strangely half-baked in others.

great understanding; can answer lots and lots of questions; good sound; small

variable volume makes control difficult; can't always hear you; not much good for a non-Google user; privacy concerns

Genius in some ways, and a dunce in others, Home, like the Echo, is on the cusp of true brilliance. We're just not quite there yet.

Looks classy; yet unobtrusive; You can control your home and music like Tony Stark; Search and translate functionality is brilliant

Could sound better; Play Music doesn't support adding to your library/playlists; You can't add appointments; reminders; or send messages