Just a day after Amazon rolled out two new smart speakers – the Echo Studio and Echo Dot Max – Google has also launched a new speaker for the home, alongside a complete rethinking, redesign, and re-architecting of the Google Home app and ecosystem.
Furthermore, it is the very same one we saw teased during the Made by Google event in August, where the Pixel 10 family was launched. The aptly-named Google Home Speaker is Google’s new flagship, designed with Gemini onboard and built to deliver robust audio from a compact, pint-sized build.
It’s priced at $99 in the United States – we’re still waiting on UK and Australia pricing – but it’s not launching today alongside the rollout of the new Google Home. It won’t even arrive in the coming days or weeks; instead, it’s set for a Spring 2026 release (so sometime between March and May).
It’s not all bad news, though. On paper and in a brief first look, the hardware does impress. Google is also being intentional with the timing of the Google Home Speaker launch, something the company highlighted in its announcement post and reiterated 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 issues, and runs well on existing hardware.
Importantly, Google Home infused with Gemini will support the original Google Home from 2016 and the Nest Hub from 2018. While it won’t offer the full Gemini Live experience, it will include a large portion of the features. Google specifically noted: “The timeline for this new speaker is intentional. Our top priority is rolling out Gemini for Home in early access to the tens of millions of speakers and smart displays already in your homes.”
Even so, with this speaker first teased in August and Google not releasing a dedicated smart speaker since 2020’s Nest Audio, expectations for the Google Home Speaker are high. With the release still months away, Google isn’t releasing full specs yet, but here’s what’s known and what I gleaned from a few minutes with an early unit.
It’s much more compact than the original Google Home and the Nest Audio, landing about on par with an Echo Dot or an Apple HomePod Mini – maybe the size of two Google Home Minis stacked together. Just like the new Echos or a HomePod Mini, Google is opting for a softer outer shell, in this case a woven yarn mesh available in four shades: Porcelain, Hazel, Jade, and Berry.
The last two especially stood out to me, particularly the warm, vibrant red named Berry – a perfect option that would have been great for the holiday season.
The ring light now sits at the bottom, integrated into the bezel between the rubber base and the woven mesh. It glows blue when Gemini is speaking or red when the microphone is muted. Controls for play/pause and volume are built into the top.
The design looks clean, and under the hood is a speaker setup that delivers omnidirectional audio with full 360-degree coverage.
I heard some brief snippets of music in a large conference room with a lot of empty space – and in the moment, the Google Home Speaker sounded solid, producing a surprising amount of volume without sacrificing clarity. Still, it’s likely the hardware isn’t final yet.
As with a HomePod Mini or nearly any Echo, you can group multiple Google Home Speakers or pair them in stereo, even using them with the Google TV Streamer to easily upgrade your TV’s audio.
Naturally, you can also ask Gemini for everything from topical questions to smart home controls. In both demos and Google’s promises, it’s a much more nuanced, human-like experience that supports casual conversation.
For instance, you might say, “You’re making cookies but are out of vanilla,” and it will understand the context, or you might request that lights turn on and off a few times while you’re out.
That’s the promise Google wants to test thoroughly on existing Google Home devices before bringing the new speaker to market. It’s possible the company may tweak the hardware – especially the internals – before launch, particularly to compete with other new smart speakers. By next Spring, there will likely be fresh competitors.
For now, though, the Google Home Speaker is set to arrive in Spring 2026 for $99.99 in Porcelain, Hazel, Jade, or Berry.
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jacob.krol@futurenet.com (Jacob Krol)
