Google Unveils Gemini-Powered Home Speaker to Transform Smart Living

After several years of modest updates to its smart home lineup, Google is making a major push into AI-powered home devices with the launch of the new Google Home Speaker, priced at $99.99. The speaker is the company’s first standalone audio device designed specifically around its Gemini AI platform.

The launch marks Google’s first dedicated smart speaker since the Nest Audio debuted in September 2020. While previous devices mainly served as smart home controllers and music speakers, they relied on basic voice commands that often required users to follow specific phrasing. The new Google Home Speaker is designed to deliver a far more natural conversational experience.

Powered by Gemini, users can issue complex, multi-step requests using everyday language. For example, they can ask the speaker to “turn off all the lights except my bedside lamp” or “dim the kitchen lights, play relaxing music, and set a timer for 20 minutes.” The assistant can also understand corrections made while speaking, allowing users to change a command mid-sentence without starting over.

Google has also equipped the speaker with 10 new AI-generated voices capable of holding more natural, two-way conversations beyond basic smart home controls. Users can ask follow-up questions on a wide range of topics, much like interacting with Gemini on a smartphone. With the Continued Conversation feature enabled, the microphone remains active briefly after a response, making it easier to continue speaking without repeatedly saying “Hey Google.”

Visually, the speaker maintains Google’s familiar design language, with its rounded shape and 3D-knit fabric exterior, and measures approximately 3.4 by 4.2 inches. Customers in the United States can choose from Jade and Berrycolour options in addition to the globally available Hazel and Porcelain finishes. A redesigned light ring at the base indicates when the speaker is listening, processing, or responding.

Not every AI capability will be included at no additional cost. Google is introducing a Google Home Premium subscription priced at $10 per month or $100 annually, unlocking more advanced Gemini features. Subscribers can access Gemini Live for extended conversations by saying, “Hey Google, let’s chat.” The premium service also offers AI-powered summaries of activity captured by Nest cameras and provides insights into events that occurred while users were away from home.

Whether these premium features will persuade customers to add another monthly subscription remains uncertain, especially since many Gemini capabilities are available at no extra cost.

To encourage adoption, Google will provide Home Premium free for the first six months. The company hopes the trial period will show how generative AI benefits smart homes and create a new subscription-based revenue stream for its expanding Gemini ecosystem.