The smart speaker segment is becoming increasingly crowded nowadays. While the products started as a pricey investment into smart home tech, the likes of Amazon Echo Dot or the Google Home Mini can be bought for US $49 or less. However, one company is stepping into the segment which is known for making cost-effective smart home products but, mainly keeps them in its native market of China. Xiaomi, the famous Chinese smartphone maker has introduced the Yeelight Voice Assistant, a smart speaker which will reportedly cost about US $30.

The new smart speaker will be powered by Microsoft’s own voice assistant Cortana, which could be mainly due to the partnership [...]