Google Home Speaker Review: Modest Upgrades, but Gemini Is the Star
The compact smart speaker adds 360-degree sound, stronger bass and Thread support, while Gemini Live requires a Google Home Premium subscription for some features.
- On Wednesday, June 24, 2026, Google released the Google Home Speaker for $99, marking the company's first new smart speaker in six years and a return to the original Home branding.
- Initially announced in October 2025, the speaker went up for pre-order last week before a Reddit user discovered the device early on shelves at a Walmart, enabling an unplanned early unboxing.
- The speaker delivers 360-degree audio and includes a Thread border router for Matter-compatible smart home devices. However, the power cable is permanently fixed to the speaker—a detail reviewers called a significant repairability concern.
- Designed to bring Gemini AI into the home, the device offers conversational features for free, though advanced capabilities like Gemini Live require a Google Home Premium subscription .
- While reviewers found the audio cleaner than the Amazon Echo Dot Max, the Apple HomePod Mini offers superior microphone performance, positioning Google's speaker as a strong mid-tier option in the competitive smart speaker market.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Google Home Speaker debuts with Gemini AI and Matter support
The new Google Home Speaker brings Gemini and expanded smart home capabilities, and Matter hub support. Reviews highlight its more natural voice experience, though some note that audio quality doesn't clearly surpass the older Nest Audio.Read Entire Article
Google Home Speaker review: modest upgrades, but Gemini is the star
At long last, Google has refreshed its smart speaker lineup with the new Google Home Speaker; first announced in the fall of 2025, it took nearly nine months for the device to come to market, and replaces the six-year-old Google Nest Audio as the top-shelf smart speaker in the company’s portfolio.Things have changed a lot since Google last released a smart speaker. During that time, AI got real big, so now the assistant powering the Google Home …
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