Now that the Apple HomePod has been discontinued, there is plenty of room for a new product to join the ranks of the best Bluetooth speakers. It is a more compact and affordable version of the Sound X speaker released last year.

The £199 Huawei Sound, now available in the UK, is a third off the original Sound X's £299 price tag. However, it is still certified for high-res audio and comes with a handy NFC tag for one-touch pairing with an Android phone.

When it comes to sound, Huawei has once again collaborated with audio specialist Devialet. As such, the new speaker features a 4-inch 40W woofer and three 5W drivers designed by the French company, with two passive radiators in a push-push configuration to counteract unwanted vibrations in the enclosure. Sound may be smaller than the Sound X, but it is not a single-driver Amazon Echo Dot smart speaker.

At 7.4 inches tall and 5.8 inches wide, the Huawei Sound is actually just slightly larger than the HomePod, but it shaves both height and width from the Sound X. The downside is that it has only half as many woofers and speakers as the Sound X, but the less expensive speaker still promises 360-degree audio playback.

A further notable drawback is the lack of a voice assistant; despite its similar styling to the HomePod and some Amazon Echo devices, this is not a smart speaker in the usual sense. You cannot control playback with your voice, nor can you use Huawei Sound to control any smart home devices you own.

Still, there are some clever tricks, such as NFC pairing and Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) support. The latter allows users to transfer high-res audio from their favorite UPnP streaming app to the sound's 8GB of onboard storage; Bluetooth is the primary means of connection, but a 3.5mm auxiliary input can also be used.

Since Huawei is effectively barred from doing business in the U.S., it is unlikely that the Sound will be available in the U.S., but UK parties can order directly from Huawei. It is also available in Australia, Cambodia, Chile, China, Colombia, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, Spain, and Turkey.