Made by Google video with F1 driver Lando Norris interacting with Gemini through an unknown speaker. Google
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ZDNET's key takeaways
Google teased an unknown speaker at last week's event.
Speaker may pair with Google TV Streamer, more devices due.
No announcement yet, first smart speaker since 2020.
The 2025 Made by Google event featured some well-known stars and highly anticipated devices, but one moment caught my eye more than others. An overproduced video showed Formula 1 driver Lando Norris on a cozy couch talking to Gemini, showcasing what the voice assistant with generative AI can do to replace Google Assistant. To his right, a metal side table held a single thing: an unknown smart speaker through which Norris communicated with Gemini.
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I immediately searched Google to find out if there were any leaks for a new smart speaker I had missed, yet I couldn't find anything. Google finished its Pixel 10 launch event without so much as a mention of a new speaker. The round speaker's appearance in the video was handled like a glitch or a slip of the tongue, with no one addressing its unexpected presence.
Gemini-powered Google Home speaker
Days later, reports confirmed that Google plans to release what sources call a Google Home Speaker, powered by Gemini instead of Assistant. The speaker will reportedly work much like a Nest speaker, of which Google hasn't released a new model in five years, with some updated features.
In the video, the new speaker looks like a slightly flattened Echo Dot, with a band along the base that lit up blue when Norris interacted with Gemini. Like an Echo speaker, it appears to be covered in fabric, and sources say it will be available in four colors: white, bright red, light green, and black.
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The Home Speaker will reportedly support Matter and can be paired with a Google TV Streamer to act as an external audio output. In the same way, you can pair a HomePod or HomePod mini with the Apple TV 4K, and pair two of these speakers for richer stereo sound.
The Google Home Speaker, according to the leaked photos from Android Headlines. Android Headlines, ZDNET
Like the Apple and Amazon smart speakers, the new Google speaker is said to feature sound detection for smoke alarms and glass breaking, so it can notify you if it hears these sounds. Echo speakers only do this if you pay for Alexa Emergency Assist or a Ring subscription, but the HomePod includes it with the speaker. It's unclear whether this type of sound detection on the new Google speaker will require a subscription.
Gemini for Home rolling out this fall
Google also announced Gemini for Home, officially replacing Google Assistant in Google Home. This update is expected to roll out in an early access phase in October, so the smart speaker could be announced around that time, unless Google decides to wait until the spring. In its press release, Google indicated that Gemini for Home will have a free and a paid tier, though it didn't specify what each would include.
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According to the same source, other new smart home devices are coming soon. Google is reportedly planning a new Nest Indoor Cam, Nest Outdoor Cam, and Nest Doorbell. Each will feature Daily Summaries, which use Gemini to recap the day's events in the Google Home app. The cameras will support 2K resolution and will be available in multiple colors.
Google has been slow to release new smart home devices in recent years, mainly because many of its products are future-proof and still work well years later. This prompted rumors that Google may have been doing away with the Nest brand altogether, though these leaks seem to dispel those. If the smart speaker is launched this year, it'd be the first one to come out since the Nest Audio in late 2020.