Google speakers don't stand out, and that's a good thing

Two years ago, Google unveiled the Home, its first-ever smart speaker. Unlike the Echo, with its tall, cylindrical shape that seemed like an over-sized router, the Home was short, stout and decidedly more friendly in appearance. Google followed that same design philosophy with last year's Home Mini, a fabric-wrapped shell that looked more like a piece of home decor than a smart speaker. Of course, the Home Max does look more speaker-like as that's its primary purpose, but it still has the fabric-clad aesthetic. The underlying design philosophy behind all of it: To look as unobtrusive as possible.