Key Takeaways
1. The Google Home Speaker features a new design with a nearly spherical shape, 39% recycled materials, and comes in multiple colors.
2. It provides 360° audio and can be paired with other speakers for enhanced sound experiences; compatibility with older Home and Nest speakers is also included.
3. The new AI assistant, Gemini, allows for more natural conversations, enabling users to interrupt the speaker and ask follow-up questions without repeating the wake word.
4. Subscription plans for advanced features include a standard plan at $10/month and an advanced plan at $40/month, offering various home automation and sound detection capabilities.
5. The Google Home Speaker is set to launch next spring at $99.99, with a complimentary six-month subscription to Google Home Standard included.
After a series of leaks, Google has officially unveiled its latest smart speaker, named the Google Home Speaker. This speaker is the first to come equipped with Gemini for Home, the new AI assistant that takes over from the Google Assistant.
Design and Features
The design of the Google Home Speaker is a major departure from Google’s earlier smart speakers. It features a nearly spherical shape with a flat top and bottom. The wired speaker includes a ring light at the base that lights up when it is listening or speaking. Additionally, there’s a microphone mute button located at the bottom.
Google states that the speaker is constructed from 39% recycled materials and is covered in a specially designed yarn. This yarn is made through a unique 3D knitting technique that greatly minimizes fabric waste. The Google Home Speaker comes in colors like Jade, Berry, Porcelain, and Hazel.
Audio and Compatibility
Thanks to its shape, the speaker provides 360° audio, and Google mentions that users can connect two speakers for a stereo sound experience. Furthermore, it can be paired with the Google Home Streamer for a cinema-like experience featuring spatial surround-sound audio. It’s also compatible with older Home and Nest speakers.
Similar to past Google smart speakers, the Google Home Speaker can answer questions, stream audiobooks, playlists, and podcasts, along with broadcasting messages throughout the home. However, to access more advanced features like Gemini Live, a Google Home Premium subscription (either standard or advanced) is required.
Subscription Plans
Gemini Live allows users to engage in conversations with the Google Home Speaker as if chatting with a friend. Like previous models, the wake word is ‘Hey Google’, but users don’t need to repeat it for every command or inquiry. It’s even possible to interrupt the speaker while it’s talking, change the subject, and ask follow-up questions.
The standard subscription costs $10 a month or $100 yearly and includes home automation and sound detection features, such as alerts for smoke/carbon monoxide or glass breaking, along with Gemini Live. Meanwhile, the advanced subscription priced at $40 a month or $200 annually, adds the functionality for daily summaries of activity when not at home and the ability to search camera history just by asking the speaker.
The Google Home Speaker is set to launch next spring with a price tag of $99.99 and will be available in various regions including the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. It will also include a complimentary six-month subscription to Google Home Standard.
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