Google’s New Home Speaker: A Better Look and Sound, But Not Yet Available
▼ Summary
– Google is launching a redesigned smart speaker in spring 2026, featuring a new flattened sphere shape, four colors, and a light ring.
– The speaker will run the Gemini voice assistant instead of Google Assistant and serve as a Google Home hub, Matter Controller, and Thread border router.
– It offers 360-degree audio, stereo pairing capability, and can connect wirelessly to a Google TV Streamer for surround sound.
– Gemini provides more conversational, natural language control for smart home devices and supports interruptions during interactions.
– Gemini Live is a paid chatbot feature that doesn’t require repeated wake words but cannot perform actions or control smart home devices.
Google has officially unveiled its latest smart speaker, marking a significant departure from previous models with a fresh design and enhanced audio capabilities. The new Google Home Speaker introduces a flattened spherical shape, a vibrant color palette, and a suite of AI-driven features powered by the Gemini voice assistant. While the device was announced alongside a major update to the Google Home platform, consumers will need to wait until spring 2026 to get their hands on it.
Moving away from the Nest branding seen in earlier products like the Nest Mini and Nest Audio, this speaker presents a completely new aesthetic. Priced at $99.99, its dimensions place it between the Mini and Audio models, comparable in size to Apple’s HomePod Mini but with a wider, flatter profile. It will be available in four distinct finishes: white, gray, green, and a striking berry red that stands out from the more subdued tones of its predecessors.
On the audio front, the speaker delivers 360-degree sound, bringing it in line with offerings from competitors such as Apple and Amazon. During a demonstration, it reproduced Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” with clarity in the vocals, well-balanced mids, and respectable bass response. Users can pair two units for a stereo setup or link them wirelessly to a Google TV Streamer to create a home theater surround sound system.
Gemini serves as the primary interface for this device, representing a substantial upgrade over the previous Google Assistant. The speaker was engineered from the ground up to integrate with Gemini for Home, Google’s AI-centric smart home platform. It supports both the standard Gemini assistant and Gemini Live, a subscription-based service that offers a more conversational chatbot experience. Additionally, the device functions as a Google Home hub, Matter Controller, and Thread border router, enabling seamless connectivity and control for a wide range of smart home gadgets.
According to Google Home’s Anish Kattukaran, the speaker incorporates custom processing tailored for Gemini and optimized far-field microphones. A new light ring positioned at the base of the unit changes color to indicate when Gemini is actively listening, processing a request, or providing a response.
The speaker is scheduled for release in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and several other markets next spring. Demonstrations showcased both Gemini and Gemini Live in action. While the standard version responds to the “Hey Google” wake phrase, Gemini Live requires the specific command “Hey Google, let’s chat” to activate. The assistant demonstrated improved conversational abilities, better comprehension of natural language, and access to real-time information during the preview.
Although personal testing wasn’t possible due to voice-matching restrictions, observers witnessed the assistant providing practical suggestions, such as vanilla substitutes in baking or compiling shopping lists for specific recipes. The natural language interface for smart home control appears particularly promising, allowing users to issue commands without precise terminology or chain multiple requests together seamlessly.
The physical design includes a mute button on the rear for privacy, while the color options, including an attractive jade green, offer aesthetic flexibility for different interiors. However, Gemini Live’s functionality within a home environment currently appears limited. While it enables fluid, interruption-friendly conversations similar to the mobile or desktop chatbot experience, it lacks the ability to execute actions like displaying recipes on a Nest Hub Max or sending information to a smartphone.
Kattukaran envisions Gemini Live as a versatile knowledge resource readily available throughout the home. Google’s roadmap aims to eventually merge the full capabilities of Gemini into the Live experience, which could unlock more compelling and integrated smart home applications in the future.
(Source: The Verge)
