After a six-year hiatus, Google has unveiled its first new smart speaker, the Google Home Speaker, featuring a complete redesign to showcase the company's latest Gemini AI assistant. The device was originally announced last fall alongside new Nest cameras and video doorbells, with a promised spring 2026 launch that has now arrived in early summer.
Pricing and Availability
The Google Home Speaker costs $100 and is available in four colors: Berry, Jade, Hazel, and Porcelain. The first two colors (Berry and Jade) are exclusive to the United States. Preorders open June 17, with official sales beginning June 25, according to a company announcement reported by WIRED.
Gemini Assistant Capabilities
The key differentiator is the switch from the Google Assistant to Gemini. Users still activate the speaker with the "Hey, Google" hot word, but Gemini is described as "leaps and bounds better" at understanding natural conversation. Queries no longer need to be rigidly phrased, and users can stop and rephrase mid-sentence—Gemini will still grasp the intent. The speaker can parse multiple commands in a single sentence, such as "Turn off all the lights except my bedside lamp."
Follow-up questions are supported via Continued Conversation, where the microphone remains active briefly after a response, eliminating the need to repeat the wake word. This feature was previously limited to English but now works in all supported languages.
New Features
For users with security cameras, Gemini can answer specific queries about camera footage, like "Did FedEx drop a package off today?" or "Did the dog eat a cookie off the counter?" This capability is also available on older Google Home devices if users have opted into Gemini, but it's a built-in convenience on the new speaker.
Ten different voice options are available. The speaker also supports Gemini Live, which allows extended back-and-forth conversations without repeatedly using the wake word. To enter this mode, users say, "Hey Google, let's talk." However, Gemini Live is restricted to newer devices like the Nest Audio and the Google Home Speaker.
Subscription Model
Access to Gemini Live requires a subscription to Google Home Premium. Buyers of the Google Home Speaker receive six months of this service free. Premium tier perks include:
- Natural-language setup of automations
- 30 days of event video history
- Smarter notifications from security cameras
A more advanced tier (name not specified in source) offers additional features.
Hardware Design
Anish Kattukaran, chief product officer at Google Nest and Google Home, told WIRED that the speaker runs local models that better isolate sound, filtering out background noise to better detect when the user is speaking. A new glowing ring of lights at the base illuminates the surrounding surface, providing a visual cue when the speaker is listening or processing a request. This LED trend appears in other Google products, with the upcoming Googlebooks platform featuring dedicated Glow Bars and rumors suggesting similar indicators on next-gen Pixel phones.
The orb design is similar to Amazon's latest Echo speakers, though the Google Home Speaker distinguishes itself through its Gemini-powered intelligence and subscription ecosystem.
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