After six years of waiting, Google has finally released a new smart speaker. The $99 Google Home Speaker is available for pre-order starting today and hits shelves on June 25, 2026. At the core of the speaker is Google’s conversational AI assistant: Gemini.
With Gemini, you can now hold natural, multi-step conversations with the speaker rather than issuing individual commands. It understands natural phrasing and logic, so you can speak more naturally without phrasing everything like a voice command.
What does the Google Home Speaker actually sound like?
Beyond the Gemini AI layer, the smart speaker produces 360-degree output from a 58mm full-range driver, firing audio in all directions. The driver is twice as large as the one in the Nest Mini, along with more prominent bass.
You can pair two speakers together to create a stereo setup or link them with a Google TV Streamer to create a spatial surround sound home theater arrangement. A light ring beneath the speaker glows to show when Gemini is listening, thinking, or responding, replacing the four hidden dots that the Nest Audio used.
The speaker doubles as a Matter controller, meaning it can directly manage and connect smart home devices more without extra hubs. It also features a privacy switch at the bottom for disabling the microphones.
You can buy the speaker in four colors: Porcelain, Hazel, Jade, and Berry. Two of those finishes, Jade and Berry, are exclusive to the US.
What AI features require a subscription?
This is the more complicated part. While the free version of Gemini on the Home Speaker handles conversation, smart home control, and general questions, the features that differentiate this one from other smart speakers on the market are locked behind a monthly subscription.
These include Gemini Live for free-flowing conversations, Camera History Search for asking what your Nest cameras captured, and Home Briefs for a daily summary of activity around your house.
All of these features require a Google Home Premium subscription, which starts at $10 per month for the Standard plan or $20 per month for the Premium plan.
Every Home Speaker purchase includes a six-month trial of Home Premium Standard, a meaningful addition at launch, but a recurring cost to factor in after the trial ends.
