GoKawiilJoe Maring / Android Authority
The last few months have been pretty notable for Google Home. Late last year, Gemini rolled out to older Google Home speakers, breathing new life into them. Considering the disastrous state the Google Assistant had turned into, this was a huge step forward.
But software is only half of the equation. Hardware is equally important, and that’s why the Google Home Speaker is such a big deal. After months of teasing, the Home Speaker finally launched on June 25, making it the first Google smart speaker to hit store shelves in six years.
Just the existence of the Home Speaker is a net positive, as it shows Google hasn’t completely given up on its smart home hardware ambitions. However, the implications it’s already had on Google’s exisitng smart speakers — and what it represents for Google Home going forward — is extremely troubling.
I want to believe in this next chapter of Google Home, but right now, it’s not looking good.
The Home Speaker strategy doesn’t make any sense
I recently wrapped up my Google Home Speaker review, and as I mentioned in it, the Home Speaker itself is a pretty solid gadget. It’s compact, sounds decent, the colors are gorgeous, and Gemini works very well. If the Home Speaker was slotting itself into the rest of the Google Home lineup as another option for folks to choose from, I’d be a pretty happy camper.
Unfortunately, that’s not what Google did. Just days before the Google Home Speaker was released, Google discontinued the Nest Audio and Nest Mini — the only other two smart speakers in the company’s portfolio.
Although the Nest Audio and Nest Mini duo wasn’t perfect — especially compared to the myriad of options in Amazon’s Echo range — it worked. If you wanted a cheap entry point into the Google Home ecosystem, the Nest Mini was essentially perfect. It could fit anywhere, sounded good enough, and the $49 retail price (which was often discounted) made it so you could stick a couple of Nest Minis in your home without breaking the bank.
If you wanted something more premium, the Nest Audio was a worthy upgrade. Was it the best-sounding smart speaker ever? No. But its two-driver design with a dedicated tweeter and woofer made it a significant improvement over the Nest Mini. And for just $99, it was a good value, too.
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