Google has finally launched its new smart speaker, the Google Home Speaker, marking a turning point in the evolution of home voice assistants. After years of waiting since the previous Nest Audio, the device has been completely redesigned to host Gemini, the company's conversational chatbot, instead of the old Google Assistant. This change promises a much smoother and more natural experience, capable of understanding complex sentences, correcting errors on the fly, and handling multiple commands in a single request.
The new speaker will be available for preorder starting June 17, 2026, with official sales beginning June 25. The price is $100, and the color range includes Berry, Jade, Hazel, and Porcelain, with the first two exclusive to the US market. The spherical design, similar to Amazon's latest Echo and Apple's HomePod Mini, offers balanced 360-degree audio. Google emphasizes that the speaker is significantly more compact than the Nest Audio, making it easy to place in any room while providing a major upgrade over the Nest Mini, with a double-sized driver and more powerful bass.
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Gemini at the Core of the Experience
The most innovative element is the integration of Gemini. The device activates with the usual "Hey Google" command, but it can now understand much more natural language. It is no longer necessary to phrase questions rigidly; you can hesitate, correct yourself mid-sentence, or string multiple commands together. Gemini interprets human intent without requiring repetition. For example, you can say "turn off all the lights except my bedside lamp" and the system executes correctly. Additionally, the Continued Conversation feature keeps the microphone active for a brief window after each response, allowing follow-up questions without repeating the wake word, now supported in all available languages.
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For those with security cameras, Gemini allows querying the system with specific questions like "Did FedEx drop a package off today?" or "Did the dog eat a cookie off the counter?" This functionality was already available for users who opted into Gemini in the Google Home app, but the native inclusion in the new speaker makes the experience even more convenient.
Gemini Live and Subscriptions
An exclusive feature for the latest devices like the Nest Audio and the new Google Home Speaker is the Gemini Live mode. Activated by saying "Hey Google, let's talk," it allows continuous conversation without repeating the wake word. However, this feature requires a Google Home Premium subscription. Purchasers of the speaker get six months free. The subscription also offers natural language automations, 30 days of video event history, and smarter notifications from security cameras. There is also an Advanced tier with additional benefits.
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The speaker features a glowing ring of lights at the base that illuminates the surrounding surface to indicate when the speaker is listening or processing a request. According to Anish Kattukaran, chief product officer at Google Nest and Google Home, the device uses local models to better isolate sound and filter out background noise, improving voice recognition. It supports the Thread and Matter standards, functioning as a hub for compatible smart home devices. Connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4, with capacitive touch controls on top and a hardware mute switch to physically disable the microphone.
Market Impact and Future Outlook
Kattukaran revealed that since opening early access to Gemini in Google Home last fall, over 3.5 million homes have adopted the experience across 20 countries and 10 languages. The company has received tons of feedback and has delivered more than 2,500 bug fixes. User engagement with Gemini is double that of the old Google Assistant, signaling a more satisfying interaction. With Apple preparing to launch a revamped smart speaker featuring an improved Siri and Alexa+ rolling out globally, the smart speaker wars are heating up again. For more on trends in AI-driven home technology, check out the article on Green Revolution: Solid-State Air Conditioners and AI-Designed Animal Drugs and the guide to Monitoring and Observability.
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For those wanting to learn more about the technology behind Gemini, the Wikipedia page on Gemini is a great resource.
Source: https://www.wired.com/story/the-gemini-powered-google-home-speaker-is-finally-here
