Just a day after Amazon rolled two new smart speakers-Echo Studio and Echo Dot Max-Has Google also launched a new speaker for the home along with a complete reconsideration, redesign and re-architecting of the Google Home app and the ecosystem.
Furthermore, it is the same as we saw teased during the Google event in August, when the Pixel 10 family was launched. The appropriate named Google Home speaker is Google’s new flagship, designed with Gemini on board and built to deliver robust sound from a compact, pint-size build.
It is priced at $ 99 in the US – we are still waiting for prices on the UK and Australia – but it is not launched today with the rollout of the new Google Home. It doesn’t even arrive in the coming days or weeks; Instead, it is set for a jump 2026 release (then sometime between March and May).
However, not all bad news. On the paper and in a short first look impresses hardware. Google is also intentional with the timing of the Google Home Speaker launch, something that the company highlighted in its advertising post and repeated to Techradar.
Given the massive overhaul of the Google Home app and Backend, the tech giant’s approach is to focus on ensuring that the transition goes smoothly, solves potential problems and is running well on existing hardware.
It is important that Google Home added Gemini will support the original Google Home from 2016 and Nest Hub from 2018. Although it does not offer full Gemini Live experience, it will include a large part of the features. Google specifically noted: “The timeline of this new speaker is intentional. Our highest priority is to roll Gemini for the home in early access to the tens of thousands of millions of speakers and smart screens already in your homes.”
Still, with this speaker only teased in August, and Google did not release a dedicated smart speaker since 2020’s Nest Audio, expectations for the Google Home speaker are high. With the release still months away, Google does not release full specifications yet, but here is what is known and what I picked up from a few minutes with an early device.
It’s much more compact than the original Google Home and The Nest Audio, which land on a par with an Echo Dot or an Apple HomePod Mini – maybe the size of two Google Home Minis stacked together. Like the new echoes or a HomePod Mini, Google chooses a softer exterior, in this case, a woven yarn found in four shades: porcelain, hazel, jade and berries.
The last two were especially out for me, especially the warm, lively red named Berry – a perfect opportunity that would have been great for the holiday season.
The ring light is now at the bottom, integrated into the frame between the rubber base and the woven mesh. It glows blue when Gemini speaks or red when the microphone is muted. Check for play/break and volume is built into the top.
The design looks clean and under the cap is a speaker setup that delivers omnidirectional sound with full 360-degree coverage.
I heard some short excerpts of music in a large conference room with a lot of empty space – and currently the Google Home speaker sounded solid and produced a surprising amount of volume without sacrificing clarity. Still, it is likely that hardware is not final yet.
As with a HomePod Mini or almost any echo, you can group multiple Google Home speakers or pair them in stereo, even use them with Google TV streamer to easily upgrade your TV’s audio.
Of course, you can also ask Gemini for everything from current questions to smart home checks. In both Demos and Google’s promises, it is a much more nuanced, human -like experience that supports relaxed conversation.
For example, you can say, “you make cookies but are out of vanilla,” and it will understand the context, or you can request that light turns on and off a few times while you are out.
It’s the promise that Google wants to test thoroughly on existing Google Home devices before bringing the new speaker to the market. It is possible that the company can fine -tune hardware – especially the internal – before launching, especially to compete with other new smart speakers. Next spring there will probably be fresh competitors.
Currently, the Google Home speaker is ready to arrive in the spring of 2026 for $ 99.99 in porcelain, Hazel, Jade or Berry.
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