Google Home Speaker Fails to Deliver on Promises
The Google Home Speaker has been released in 2026, priced at $199. The speaker boasts a minimalist design and surprisingly good sound quality.
One of the standout features is its support for spatial audio and conversational AI through the Gemini upgrade. However, this comes with some caveats - users will need to upgrade their Assistant experience, which may result in some loss of functionality from previous versions.
The speaker's design is compact, weighing 396 grams and featuring a colourful light at the bottom when interacting with it. It supports wireless connectivity via WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5, as well as smart home support through Thread and Matter.
In-use, the speaker relies primarily on voice control, although there are touch-sensitive spots for volume and playback controls. However, users may experience frustration due to the new Assistant's conversational approach, which can be infuriatingly obtuse at times.