Google is finally launching its new Google Home Speaker, powered by the advanced Gemini AI, on June 25th for $100. This marks the first dedicated speaker release in six years and ditches the older Google Assistant for the much more capable Gemini.
Preorders begin June 17th, with the speaker available in Berry, Jade, Hazel, and Porcelain. The Berry and Jade color options are exclusive to the US. While it uses the familiar "Hey Google" wake word, Gemini offers a significantly more natural conversational experience, allowing users to rephrase questions mid-sentence and string together multiple commands.
Gemini's capabilities extend to smart home integration, allowing users to ask specific questions about camera footage, like "Did FedEx drop a package off today?". This feature is also available for existing Google Home users who have opted into Gemini. The speaker offers 10 voice options and a "Gemini Live" mode for continuous, back-and-forth conversations, accessible with a Google Home Premium subscription (a six-month free trial is included with the speaker).
The new Google Home Speaker features an orb-like design for 360-degree audio and boasts a compact form factor for easy placement. It includes a glowing LED ring at the base to indicate listening status and capacitive touch controls on top, along with a hardware mute switch for privacy. The audio experience is described as a substantial upgrade from the Nest Mini, with a larger driver and more powerful bass.
The device also supports Thread and Matter standards, acting as a hub for compatible smart home devices, and includes Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4. Google reports that millions of homes have adopted Gemini in Google Home, with users engaging twice as much compared to the older Assistant, indicating a strong positive reception to the new AI and its improved functionality.
