Google's version will look like an OnHub router and is known internally known as the Chirp and it is likely to integrate with Nest.We are expecting hear a bit more at next week’s Google I/O developer conference. The conference will highlight voice control and personal assistance tech, which is what the chirp is all about.

Amazon's Echo uses Alexa voice technology to work with smart home devices including Nest, and in addition to managing your thermostat and lights, the Echo can read the news or audio books, and can play you a song, order a pizza, or get you an Uber. The Echo has sold three million units since its release in late 2014; and while it is marketed as a virtual assistant for the home, it outpaced traditional speaker system sales in 2015, gaining over 25 per cent of market share in that year.

Amazon recently released the Echo Tap, which is mobile and connects via WiFi or mobile hotspot, and the Echo Dot, which can turn a traditional speaker into an Echo device.