Google's first new smart speaker in six years is here and once again leads its competitors--now with paywalled features. Sounds a little more human than competitors. Gemini is helpful and smart. Some assistant features are hidden behind paywalls. Works best if you buy or have bought several Google devices for your home.

The question is whether Gemini is a good enough smart home assistant. Somehow, it's been almost nine months since Google first revealed its latest smart speaker, the boringly-named Google Home Speaker. I don't understand why it took the company so long to get it to market, as there's nothing that particularly changes the game here hardware-wise. The $99 orb looks a lot like Apple's HomePod mini, with a speaker that fires audio in 360 degrees and microphones so you can chat with Google Assistant Gemini for Home. It's the definition of an expected, iterative piece of hardware -- but on the other hand, it's been almost six years since Google released the Nest Audio and seven since the Nest Home Mini.

Upgrades include 360-degree audio and deeper integration with Gemini. Last fall Google teased that it was working on an all-new Google Home speaker due out sometime in mid 2026. And while it took a tiny bit longer than expected, today the company began taking pre-orders for its latest speaker ahead of its official on-sale date of June 25. While the new Google Home serves a similar role to the existing Nest Audio, including the ability to function as linked stereo speakers when paired with a second unit, there are a number of other design changes and upgrades. Instead of relying on directional sound, the Google Home was created to deliver clear 360-degree audio in an even more compact chassis.

Arriving six years after Google's last smart speaker, the new HomePod-style device was redesigned to play host to Gemini's chatbot. The last time Google released a smart speaker, the world was in the throes of a pandemic . Yes, it's been six years since the company trotted out a dedicated speaker. However, this newest Google Home Speaker brings a big change with it: The device has been redesigned to showcase the new Gemini assistant instead of the Google Assistant that powered all previous speakers and smart displays. Google announced the speaker last fall alongside new Nest smart home cameras and video doorbells, promising a spring 2026 launch.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. The Google Home Speaker is real, but we'll have to wait for it Teased during a Pixel demonstration back in August, Google's latest smart speaker is finally official, but it's not coming out right away. Weeks after sneaking it into a product demo and teasing it on social media, Google has finally taken the wraps off its first new smart speaker in five years, but we'll have to wait a little longer before we can get our hands on one. The $99 Google Home Speaker--yes, Google dropped the "Nest" branding for the new device--has been built for Gemini, Google says, and it boasts features like 360-degree audio and the ability to pair with the Google TV Streamer. But unlike Google's new Nest security cameras (Google is sticking with the "Nest" moniker for its smart cams, at least for now), which are available for purchase now, the Google Home Speaker won't go on sale until spring 2026.

The Google Home app has seen a host of small improvements over the last few months to enhance stability and polish. However, Google says with this new update, you can expect to see 70 percent faster startup with the app and 80 percent fewer crashes. There are battery life and memory optimizations, and scrubbing through the camera is six times smoother. The Home app is designed to be used easily one-handed, and you can use more gestures, such as swiping down to enter a camera view or swiping up to back out. You now get preview images from the last event before the live view loads, the ability to swipe between timeline and events, double-tap to fast forward or rewind, and better notifications with a static thumbnail expandable to a large animated preview. Google says the merger of features and devices from the old Nest app is now complete, and folks should be able to transition seamlessly, though the legacy app won't be disappearing yet.

Blink and you may have missed it, but Google gave us a peek at what sure looks like a new smart speaker during its Made by Google event on Wednesday. A "leaked" product is one that's been mistakenly revealed, whereas the speaker we saw during Google's Pixel event got a clear supporting role, with F1 driver Lando Norris cheerfully chatting with the device. Google meant for us to notice the new and unannounced smart speaker. So, what do we know about this little gray (or porcelain?) That may sound obvious, but so often with rumored or "leaked" new products, we're in the land of pure conjecture.

One week after Amazon rolled out their new line of Echo and Fire TV devices, Google announced slew of new devices, including the much-anticipated Pixel 5. Also new for 2020 is the completely redesigned Nest smart speaker, Nest Audio, and an upgraded Chromecast (now with Google TV). We're just as excited as you are to play with Google's new gadgets, but first to the important details. Here's everything you need to know about Google's new hardware--and how to pre-order before it all sells out. The Pixel 5 comes with wireless and reverse wireless charging, so you can use it to power up your Pixel Buds when you're on-the-go. Brand new to the Pixel lineup is Google's Pixel 5. It's water resistant, comes with 8GB of RAM, and a new ultra-wide lens on the back.

Google Play Music is currently the best streaming music service for people who have their own music collections. The service lets users upload 50,000 of their own music files, then access the audio on a wide range of streaming devices. It's a great way to access your own music files from anywhere, and it doesn't cost a dime. Unfortunately, the free ride is just about over. At the end of this year, Google will discontinue Google Play Music and push users over to YouTube Music as a replacement.

The coronavirus pandemic is changing the way we shop, especially for groceries. From donning masks to wearing gloves, many Americans are taking extra precautions when stocking up on pantry staples and other essential items. Grocery shopping online has become a great option for many during quarantine, and if you're shopping at Walmart, Google Assistant can help. With a few simple voice commands, you can order everything you need from Walmart using a Google-Assistant-enabled speaker or smartphone. While this may not be ideal for massive shopping lists, when you're standing in your kitchen looking at a cookbook or recipe site, it's convenient to just read off what you need to your smart assistant.