Google's new Home Speaker goes on sale June 25 for $100. It is Google's first new speaker since 2020, and the main change is that it is built entirely around Gemini, Google's current AI assistant, rather than the older Google Assistant that powered every previous device.
The practical difference matters. The old Google Assistant required fairly precise commands. You had to phrase things a specific way, and if it misunderstood you, you started over. Gemini handles natural, messy conversation: you can string multiple requests into one sentence, correct yourself partway through, and ask follow-up questions without saying "Hey Google" again. Google calls this last feature Continued Conversation, and it has now been extended to all supported languages, not just English as before.
If you have security cameras connected to Google Home, you can ask Gemini specific questions about what the cameras recorded, such as whether a delivery arrived. This works on older Google Home devices too, not just the new speaker.
The hardware is a small orb design with 360-degree audio, three microphones, a physical mute switch at the bottom, and a light ring at the base that glows to show when Gemini is listening or processing a request. Google says it is noticeably smaller than the previous Nest Audio, which makes it easier to place anywhere. Audio quality sits between the tiny old Nest Mini and a full-sized speaker: better bass and a larger driver than the Mini, but not competing with larger speakers on raw sound.
The subscription structure is important to understand before buying. The speaker costs $100 and comes with six months of Google Home Premium for free. That premium tier is what unlocks Gemini Live, the fully conversational back-and-forth mode where you say "Hey Google, let's talk" and have a real dialogue without any wake phrases. After the trial, that feature requires a paid subscription. The basic version of Gemini, which handles quick requests and smart home controls, remains free.
This pricing model is now identical in shape to what competitors are doing. Amazon's upgraded assistant, Alexa+, is free for Prime subscribers, who already pay around $15 a month, and costs $20 a month for everyone else. <br>Apple is expected to release new HomePod hardware later this year, tied to a revamped Siri, though those devices have been delayed repeatedly because of Siri development challenges.
The smart speaker market has been quiet for years. Amazon shipped Alexa in 2014, Google followed, and both companies let their assistants stagnate for a long time while focusing on other products. The AI upgrades now arriving across all three platforms are the first meaningful change to what these devices can actually do in nearly a decade.
For anyone already inside the Google network, using Gmail, Google Calendar, Android, or Nest cameras, this speaker connects those services through voice in a way the old assistant never reliably managed. For people who own no smart home devices at all, the speaker also acts as a hub for other connected home devices using the Matter standard, a shared protocol now supported by Google, Amazon, and Apple products alike.
The six-month free trial makes the initial purchase low-risk. The real question is what you decide when the bill arrives.