A few months ago I wrote that Best Buy’s Insignia Smart Speaker is a great alternative to the Google Home because, in addition to being an alarm clock, it can do all the things a Google Home can do except make outgoing voice calls. Well, a few things have changed since then that makes this an even better buy!
What’s new with the Insignia Smart Speaker
- Recently an update rolled out to these speakers that now allow them to make voice calls. Most third-party Google Assistant powered speakers don’t allow this, but now the Insignia smart speaker can.
- XDA recently discovered these speakers can be paired in the Google Home app, just like the Google Home Max. This allows you to set up the speakers for stereo sound. I’m not aware of any other Google Assistant powered speaker with this feature, including the Google Home and the Google Mini!
Pairing the Insignia Smart Speaker
If you own two of these speakers, using the Google Home app, you need to put both of the speakers in the same room. Then, under the discover menu in the Google Home app you tap “PAIR SPEAKERS” and follow the instructions.
Final Thoughts
The Insignia Voice Activated Smart Speaker was already a great buy. Regularly it is around $40 and recently went all the way down to $19.99 at Best Buy. It often goes on sale. At sales prices, it is a steal, especially now that it can do things its more expensive counterparts cannot. You can also get a battery powered version for $5 more.
If you are looking for a Google Assistant powered smart hub, go out and get one (or two!).
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