Lil Katz / Android Authority
TL;DR Google’s Nest smart speakers with Gemini-backed Google Assistant are getting new voices.
The three new voices are also named after plants, as were the seven previously made available by Google in December 2024.
Gemini-powered Google Assistant is still an experimental feature, available only in the US.
Google’s ongoing mission to replace the traditional Google Assistant with Gemini has largely been limited to Android phones. Other devices, such as smart speakers and other Nest devices, are also in the fold, but the enhancements have been voluntary. Back in December 2024, Google enabled Gemini-backed responses on Nest devices as an experimental feature and is now adding small enhancements to entice more users to jump on board.
Google has recently been testing new voices for Google Assistant responses powered by Gemini on Nest speakers. Spotted by 9to5Google, the following new voices add to the previously released seven, bumping the count to ten: Yarrow with a deeper, warm voice,
with a deeper, warm voice, Croton with a deeper, smooth voice, and
with a deeper, smooth voice, and Pilea with a higher, bright voice.
As with the last set of improved voices for Google Assistant, the new ones also follow plant-based naming. Since these voices are also backed by Gemini, they sound more natural and less robotic than the four pre-Gemini era voices, namely Red, Orange, Amber, and Green.
Based on the preview shared by 9to5Google, these new voices sound calmer and seem to have a slower rhythm compared to the previous options.
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