Google Launches Gemini-Powered Home Speaker, Raising Questions for Existing Nest Users

Google’s speaker range spans Home Mini/Nest Mini, Home/Nest Audio, and Home Max. The last model before this launch was Nest Audio (Sept 2020). In 2025 Google announced Gemini would replace Google Assistant on new hardware. Gemini for Home entered early access in October 2025, reaching over 3.5 million homes in 20 countries and prompting more than 2,500 bug fixes.

The new Google Home Speaker is a slap in the face to Nest Audio users

• August 2025 – Google announces the Home Speaker and Gemini integration.

Forbes

• 17 June 2026 – Pre-order period opens.

Wired Magazine

• 25 June 2026 – Device ships worldwide.

Bloomberg

The 3-D-knitted Google Home Speaker opened for preorder on 17 June 2026 and ships on 25 June for $99.99 in the U.S., $100 elsewhere. It comes in Berry, Jade (U.S. only), Hazel and Porcelain, with a LED ring indicating listening, thinking or responding.

Ars Technica

The speaker uses a 58 mm driver—twice the size of the Nest Mini’s—delivering 360° sound. It runs a Cortex-A55 CPU at 2 GHz, 1 GB RAM, three far-field microphones, and supports Dolby Atmos via Wi-Fi stereo pairing with a Google TV Streamer.

The new Google Home Speaker is a slap in the face to Nest Audio users

Google said the Home Speaker was designed for placement with 360 audio, unlike the directionally oriented Nest Audio. The company also noted stronger audio performance for its size and improved Gemini comprehension via far-field microphones and on-device AI.

The new Google Home Speaker is a slap in the face to Nest Audio users

• “But Gemini is leaps and bounds better than the old Google Assistant at understanding natural conversation, so your queries do not need to be as rigid, and you won’t need to ask things in multiple ways to get what you want.” — Google announcement

Wired Magazine

• “Those advanced features include stuff like Gemini Live, which lets you have a real-time conversation with Gemini for Home without using the wake word over and over, as well as the ability to search your camera feed using natural language prompts.” — Gizmodo

Gizmodo

• “Google Home Premium is a paid subscription, but the Google Home Speaker comes with six months of the service included (Google says this is a $60 value).” — MakeUseOf

MakeUseOf

• “The spokesperson added that the Google Home Speaker’s audio “punches above its weight,” with the power to fill mid-sized rooms.” — Google spokesperson

The new Google Home Speaker is a slap in the face to Nest Audio users

The Home Speaker costs as much as Nest Audio. Critics say pairing with TV Streamer and Gemini Live forces Nest Audio owners to upgrade or miss features, while functions require a Google Home Premium subscription.

The new Google Home Speaker is a slap in the face to Nest Audio users

Android Authority calls Speaker “smaller and can’t match sound quality” versus Nest Audio; MakeUseOf notes a “2.5× stronger bass” versus Nest Mini. Google hasn't confirmed firmware will bring Nest sound.

The new Google Home Speaker is a slap in the face to Nest Audio users

The Home Speaker is Google’s hardware built around Gemini, signaling a shift to AI-powered assistants. Subscription features and upgrades may fragment the Nest ecosystem, as Amazon and Apple also embed AI assistants in their speakers.

Bloomberg

The Home Speaker launches in 18 countries on 25 June with a Google Premium trial. It plans updates to expand Gemini and hints at hardware to close gap while keeping its model.

Forbes