Google Launches its First New Smart Speaker in Six Years

Google started taking pre-orders Tuesday for the Google Home Speaker, a $99.99 device set to ship June 25.

The speaker signals the company's return to standalone smart speaker hardware since the Nest Audio in 2020.

The device runs on Gemini for Home, Google's updated voice assistant.

It handles natural speech, follows multi-step requests, and manages corrections mid-sentence without users repeating the wake word.

Google positioned it as the first audio product built specifically for this assistant.

Frank Chen, product manager for Google Home, and Mark Alexander, group product manager for Gemini for Home, described the speaker in Google's announcement as one that brings "intuitive help, immersive audio and privacy to your daily routine."

Hardware includes a 58-millimeter driver for 360-degree sound with stronger bass than the Nest Mini.

Users can pair two speakers for stereo output or connect them to a Google TV Streamer for spatial surround sound.

The speaker also works in groups with existing Nest devices.

It measures about 4.2 inches wide and 3.4 inches tall.

Features include three far-field microphones with a physical mute switch, capacitive touch controls on top for volume and playback, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, and Thread 1.3 support as a Matter controller and border router.

The unit uses 37% recycled materials.

Colors available worldwide are Porcelain and Hazel. Jade and Berry versions are exclusive to the U.S. Google Store.

Google offered six months of Google Home Premium with purchases made before mid-September.

The $10 monthly subscription unlocks Gemini Live for more conversational interactions and AI features such as searching camera history.

Anish Kattukaran, chief product officer for Google Home, said the company used the delay since last year's announcement to refine Gemini for Home.

Improvements include reduced latency for commands by up to 40% and fixes for more than 2,500 reported issues.

The speaker enters a market where Amazon Echo devices and Apple's HomePod Mini hold strong positions.

Google emphasized its conversational AI and audio upgrades over the smaller Nest Mini as selling points.

Pre-orders opened in 18 countries, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, several European nations, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. Units reach shelves June 25.

Google first teased the speaker at Made by Google 2025 and provided more details in October. It was originally slated for a broader spring 2026 window.

The launch comes as Google continues to integrate Gemini across its smart home lineup, including updates for existing speakers and displays through an early access program that attracted millions of households.

I am keeping a close eye on how Google's advancements in AI technology, coupled with more affordable pricing, might help the company reclaim its foothold in the smart speaker market.

This is an area that Google originally helped to shape back in 2016, and there's a lot of curiosity about how they’ll navigate the competition now.