Overview
- Preorders for the Google Home Speaker went live on June 17 and Google says units will begin shipping on June 25 for $99.99 in the U.S. and $139.99 in Canada.
- The speaker ships with Gemini for Home, which Google says enables natural, multi‑step voice conversations, follow‑ups without repeat wake words, and short‑term conversational context.
- Google bundles a six‑month Google Home Premium trial for early buyers and restricts advanced capabilities such as Gemini Live, camera history search, and Home Briefs behind that paid tier.
- Hardware highlights include balanced 360° audio, the ability to pair two speakers with a Google TV Streamer for spatial surround sound, a compact recycled‑textile design in four colors, and visible privacy controls plus on‑device audio models for noise isolation.
- The product follows months of Gemini early access in millions of homes and signals a shift toward subscription monetization and more device‑level AI, a move that could reshape smart‑home competition, privacy expectations, and how people interact with assistants.