GOOGLE is bringing its premium smart speaker to the UK almost a year after its official launch in the US.

The Google Home Max is the tech giant’s answer to Apple’s HomePod, with greater emphasis on sound quality over voice-powered smart features.

But the speaker is the company’s priciest yet, retailing at £399 - £80 more than Apple’s offering, and £300 more than the original Google Home.

Google claims that the device’s sound is 20 times more powerful than the first Google Home, using 4.5-inch high-excursion woofers for deep bass.

The Google Assistant is present for all requests from the user’s voice, using the company’s search engine to answer questions.

“We are delighted to bring the long-awaited Google Home Max to UK shores,” said Mark Spates, senior product manager at Google.

The Google Home Max is available now from the Google Store and selected John Lewis stores.