GoKawiilSanuj Bhatia / Android Authority
It’s here. It’s finally here. After (sneakily) teasing it alongside the Pixel 10 series last year, Google officially took the wraps off the new Google Home Speaker earlier this month, and it’s officially hitting store shelves this week.
Google says the new Home Speaker is built for the Gemini era, and on paper, the company has packed quite a lot into a product that costs just $100, which actually seems to be Google’s favorite price point these days (yes, Fitbit Air, I’m looking at you).
But is it actually the Google smart home product I’ve been waiting for all these years? Not really.
Which Google smart home device would you rather see next? 53 votes A new Nest Hub smart display 53 % A larger Nest Hub Max successor 36 % A new Pixel Tablet with dock 11 % I'm happy with the new Home Speaker 0 %
The new Google Home Speaker seems genuinely good
Stephen Schenck / Android Authority
Look, I’m not saying the new Google Home Speaker is a bad upgrade over the older Nest Mini. In fact, one of my favorite changes is probably the simplest one: the colors. Google is finally offering more vibrant options that not only match its Pixel phones’ colors, but also don’t make your bedroom or living room look dull.
Beyond that, there are meaningful upgrades across the board. You’re getting improved sound quality with a larger driver and more bass, Gemini built right into the speaker, the ability to pair two speakers together for stereo audio, and Google’s new glowing light strip at the base, which seems to be becoming a signature design element across its hardware.
There’s very little to complain about here. Gemini can now handle much more complex requests than before. You no longer have to say separate commands to turn off the lights and start a timer. Instead, Gemini can handle complex tasks in one go. You can even ask questions like who was at your front door, and Gemini can summarize events from compatible cameras for you.
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