Google Home Gets Gemini AI With New Nest Cams & Speaker
▼ Summary
– Google is replacing Google Assistant with its Gemini chatbot across smart home products, starting with the Google Home platform.
– The shift to Gemini enables more conversational interactions with voice assistants, moving beyond rigid command structures.
– Google is launching new smart home devices including cameras, doorbells, and a speaker, with prices ranging from $100 to $180.
– Walmart is partnering with Google to offer budget-friendly Onn brand cameras and doorbells compatible with the Google Home app.
– Previous voice assistants like Google Assistant and Alexa were limited in proactivity, primarily excelling at basic tasks like weather queries.
Google is integrating its advanced Gemini AI directly into the Google Home ecosystem, replacing the familiar Google Assistant while keeping the “Hey Google” wake command intact. This significant shift arrives alongside a redesigned Google Home app and a suite of new hardware, including a Google Home Speaker, updated Nest Cams, and a new Nest Doorbell. The move signals a major evolution for the smart home, moving beyond simple voice commands to more conversational and proactive AI interactions.
For nearly a decade, Google Assistant served as the company’s primary competitor to Amazon’s Alexa, sparking a fierce battle in the voice assistant arena. After a period where development seemed to stall, the emergence of powerful large language models has completely revitalized the technology. The key difference with Gemini is the ability to engage in fluid, natural conversations, freeing users from the constraints of rigid, predefined commands. This represents a fundamental change in how we control our smart homes. Tasks that once felt complex, like setting up a multi-step routine, are now as simple as telling Gemini, “Turn on the lights, close the shades, and start the sound machine every night at 9 pm.”
The software upgrade is complemented by a hardware refresh. The new lineup includes a $100 Google Home Speaker, a $100 Nest Cam Indoor 2K, a $150 Nest Cam Outdoor 2K, and a $180 Nest Doorbell 2K. In a strategic partnership, Walmart is also entering the market with its Onn brand, offering very affordable indoor cameras and doorbells that integrate seamlessly with the Google Home app. Most of these devices are available for purchase immediately, though the new Google Home Speaker is scheduled for an early 2026 release.
This transition to Gemini marks a pivotal moment. When Google Assistant first launched on the original Google Home speaker, it promised an ambient computing future where our homes would be intelligently automated. The reality, however, often fell short of that vision. While Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa excel at providing basic information like the weather forecast, they have largely failed to become the proactive, anticipatory helpers we were led to expect.
(Source: Wired)
