Best Smart Speaker of 2026: Meet the New Contender
▼ Summary
– Installer No. 134 is a newsletter guide to the best and most notable content, with all past editions available on its homepage.
– The author has been reading about Polymarket lies, Jalen Brunson, and the Arts and Crafts Movement.
– The author has been watching the show *Not Suitable for Work* and an excessive amount of the World Cup.
– The author is trying to catch up on *The Bear* before its final season starts and playing Hank Green’s *4×3* game.
– The author is resisting preordering a Stanley Kubrick collection, despite knowing they will eventually buy it.
Hi, everyone. Welcome back to Installer No. 134, your weekly guide to the most interesting and Verge-approved finds across tech, culture, and beyond. If you are just joining us, I hope you are staying cool in this heatwave, and you can catch up on all past editions right on the Installer homepage.
This week, my reading list has been packed with some wild stuff: deep dives into Polymarket lies, an interview with Jalen Brunson, and a fascinating piece on the Arts and Crafts Movement and its connection to modern tech. On screen, I have been watching Not Suitable for Work and, honestly, way too much World Cup action. I am also scrambling to catch up on The Bear before its final season drops. For fun, I have been playing Hank Green’s 4×3 game, and I am doing my absolute best to resist preordering that incredible Stanley Kubrick collection from Criterion (though we all know I will cave). And yes, I have been buying a bunch of other stuff too.
But the biggest news this week? A new contender has entered the ring for the title of Best Smart Speaker of 2026. This device isn’t just about voice commands and streaming music. It is designed to integrate more seamlessly into your daily routines, with sharper audio, better contextual awareness, and a design that actually fits into your home. While many speakers still feel like tech gadgets first and furniture second, this new model aims to change that. It is a direct challenge to the established players, and early reviews suggest it might just have the edge on sound quality and smart home integration. If you have been waiting for a reason to upgrade your home audio setup, this could be it.
(Source: The Verge)
