On 25 June 2026, Google launched the Google Home Speaker – the company’s first new standalone smart speaker in years. The focus is clearly on the Gemini AI assistant, built right into the speaker. The price: 99.99 US dollars.
Built around Gemini
It is the first Google speaker designed from the ground up for Gemini, and the first with an NPU for AI processing. “Gemini for Home” is meant to enable natural, multi-step conversations and more intuitive control of the smart home. Important for prospective buyers: the more advanced AI features – such as Gemini Live, Camera History Search or “Home Briefs” – require a subscription of around 10 US dollars per month after a six-month trial.
Sound and design
- 360-degree sound: a 58 mm driver, according to Google twice the size of the Nest Mini’s, with roughly 2.5 times stronger bass.
- Microphones: three far-field microphones behind a hardware mute switch.
- Colours: Hazel and Porcelain globally, plus Berry and Jade in the US.
The Home Speaker marks Google’s return to the smart speaker market – this time with generative AI as the central selling point. Anyone already at home in the Google ecosystem gets a modern building block for voice control. The subscription model for the top features, however, should be factored in.
Sources: Google (blog), Android Central.
