I bought my first Echo the moment it became available – so revolutionary was the smart speaker that I didn’t wait for Amazon to send me a press sample, I just went out and bought it. I still have that original Echo from 2015 (when it arrived in the UK) and guess what – it still works.

Alphabet Inc.’s Google introduced a range of new Nest-branded hardware on Wednesday, just a day after Amazon.com Inc. held its own product showcase, as both companies vie to more deeply integrate artificial intelligence throughout the smart home.