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Google Launches Gemini-Powered Home Speaker as Pre-Orders Go Live

The $99 compact 360° speaker runs local AI models and places advanced Gemini features behind a Home Premium subscription.

Overview

  • Pre-orders opened June 17 and the Google Home Speaker is scheduled to ship in late June, with Google listing June 25 as the U.S. ship date and a $99.99 price in the United States.
  • The device is the first speaker built specifically for Gemini for Home and is designed to handle natural, multi-step conversation, follow-up questions, and mid-sentence corrections.
  • Some high-value capabilities — including Gemini Live conversational mode, camera history search for Nest cams, and daily Home Briefs — require a Google Home Premium subscription, and buyers get six months free if they purchase before September 30.
  • Hardware highlights include balanced 360° sound with a larger 58 mm driver and stronger bass than the Nest Mini, Thread/Matter support, three far-field mics with a physical mute switch, and a quad-core A55 chip with an NPU for on-device processing.
  • Google says more than 3.5 million homes tested Gemini in early access and the company shipped thousands of fixes and performance improvements, a development Google frames as improving voice recognition, privacy controls, and smart‑home reliability as Gemini rolls out to a wider audience.