Overview
- Google opened preorders on June 17 for the Google Home Speaker and will start shipping units on June 25 at a US price of $99.99 and CA$139.99.
- The speaker is the company’s first standalone smart speaker in about six years and is built around Gemini for Home to enable natural multi-step conversations, mid-sentence corrections, and follow-up questions without repeating a wake word.
- Hardware changes are modest but focused: a compact 360° audio design with a larger driver and stronger bass than the Nest Mini, Thread 1.3 and Matter hub support, Wi‑Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, and a light ring plus a physical mic mute for privacy.
- Several flagship capabilities — including Gemini Live two‑way conversations, camera history search, and Home Briefs summaries — require a Google Home Premium subscription, and buyers receive six months of the service with purchases made before mid‑September.
- Google says it iterated Gemini in early access across millions of homes and fixed thousands of issues before this launch, a move that positions Gemini in the smart home but shifts some advanced functionality behind recurring fees which could change long‑term costs for users.