Google - Home Speaker - Smart Speaker with Gemini For Home Voice Assistant and 360-Degree Sound - Porcelain

It's on my nightstand. When I get out of bed to do exercises I say, "hey Google, play 90s hip hop" or Ravel or Ry Cooder and voila - it happens. It's also right there for queries on the fly, like "why doesn't the FIFA president get voted out after kowtowing ...?" and then it gives the solid Gemini scoop on what's up with all of that. In short - it's useful and it's fun. Treat yourself

I've had the new Google Home Speaker sitting in my kitchen for the past few days, and it's been getting a nice workout while I cook, clean, and go about my daily routine. As someone who's used various Google Nest Minis and similar devices over the years, I was curious how this one would stack up, specially since it's been a long wait for a fresh model from Google. Overall, it's a noticeable upgrade that feels more modern and capable, though it's not without a few drawbacks. Setup was a breeze. I literally plugged it in, opened the Google Home app, and it connected to my existing network without any hassle. It synced right up with the rest of my smart home devices, and within minutes I was issuing commands and testing things out nonstop. No complicated pairing or lengthy onboarding, just simple and reliable, which is exactly what you want from a device like this. The design is a bit larger than the old minis, which gives it a more substantial presence on the counter without feeling bulky. I got the Porcelain color, and it blends nicely into my kitchen without standing out too much. One of my favorite little touches is the LED light ring around the bottom. It lights up in a smooth, colorful way when the speaker is listening or responding. It's a cool, futuristic detail that makes interactions feel more engaging, especially in the evening when the kitchen lights are lower. Sound quality is improved but still has limits. Compared to the smaller Nest Minis I've used before, this is definitely a step up. The 360-degree audio fills the kitchen better, with clearer vocals and more noticeable bass for music or podcasts while I'm working. It handles everyday listening really well in a space like this. That said, it's not going to blow you away if you're chasing full, rich sound. It's still a compact smart speaker, not a dedicated audio system. For its category and size, though, it's a clear upgrade and gets the job done nicely for casual use. Where it really shines is the AI and responsiveness. The Gemini integration makes conversations feel much more natural and fluid. Responses come quicker, with more detailed and helpful information than what I was used to. I can chain questions or corrections together without it getting confused, and it handles multi-step requests better during my kitchen tests, like adjusting lights, setting timers, pulling up recipes, or managing routines all in one go. The back-and-forth feels more like talking to a helpful assistant rather than barking rigid commands. These enhancements are a genuine bonus and make daily tasks smoother. My only real hesitation is the subscription side. It comes with a solid 6-month trial of Google Home Premium, which unlocks even more of those advanced Gemini features. After that, it moves to a paid plan, and I'm not thrilled about adding another monthly cost. I already prefer using Grok for my main AI interactions, so I'll likely stick to the free basics on this speaker once the trial ends. Still, I can easily see how the premium features would be valuable for families, heavy smart home users, or anyone wanting the full conversational experience. Final Thoughts: This Google Home Speaker is a worthwhile upgrade if you're in the Google ecosystem and ready for something fresher than the older minis. It's easy to set up, looks good, sounds better than its predecessors, and the smarter AI makes it more enjoyable to use around the house. It's not perfect, especially if you're hoping for audiophile-level sound or want to avoid any future subscriptions, but in its current space, it stands out as a strong, practical choice. I've been testing it nonstop in the kitchen, and it’s earned a permanent spot for now. Recommended for anyone looking to modernize their smart home without overcomplicating things.

I have a house full of Google products from a 2nd gen Nest Mini in each room, 2 of the Google Hub Max, a doorbell, a watch... I had been thinking of getting a better speaker for my living room because a mini just didn't produce enough sound for the space. I liked the idea of a smart speaker though. So when I saw that the new Google Home Speaker was coming, I decided to wait for it to be released. This new speaker is about the same diameter as a mini but it is about twice as high. It is perfect to sit on a table top or a desk. It comes in a variety of colors, including a Berry and a Jade as well as a Porcelain and a Hazel (grayish). I went with the Hazel. Out of the box, I liked that the design was similar to the mini so it felt familiar. The cord is white. I would have preferred black but white is the color that Google devices seem to come with. One big negative is that the cord is hardwired into the Google Home Speaker instead of plugging in to the device like you typically would. The plug is still separate. I just know from past experience that the cords can get pinched and damaged. If that happens to this speaker, you're out of luck. I plugged the speaker in and it booted up, just like any other Google speaker. The Google Home app is required but I already have it. You follow the prompts to assign the speaker to a room and to name it. The device is also comes with 6 months of Google Home Premium for new users. That's a $60 value. I don't like that because I am already a loyal customer, I am made to miss out on this offer. I normally would not pay a subscription to get features on a smart speaker but I already have it for my doorbell and hubs. The Google Home Speaker uses Gemini instead of straight Google like what used to be used. I'm still learning the ins and outs of Gemini but it is similar enough to the previous Google voice system. This is just more. The sound is 360 degrees as opposed to the old Mini that just projected sound outward. What I have noticed about this speaker, and it is inherent in Gemini, and I absolutely do not like it is that it is ALWAYS listening. Let's be honest, these devices are all always listening. How do you think you get a suggestion for a product you were just talking about? But Gemini has a habit of butting into conversations and saying things about topics you are discussing. Since I've been evaluating this speaker and have it next to me, it has been in the middle of a lot of conversations. If you say, "I wonder how..." she's liable to respond. I don't like it. Overall, it's a nice speaker. You can link it to you tv or other smart devices. It has a lot of pluses. I'm just not sure, actually I don't think that it is worth the extra money over a mini unless it is something you specifically wanted.

The Google Speaker is a worthy upgrade to the Nest Mini, but only a oblique upgrade from the Nest Hub. It brings a better design and better sound to the table, but it’s not going to be a huge upgrade if your primary use for your smart speaker is listening to music. Mind you, it’s much better than the Mini it replaces or the Nest Hub. I love it, but my ears are older now and I’ve lost some of my high-end so I may not be the best judge. The “glow ring” at the bottom is a solid upgrade though and it really aids in judging modes and whether the speaker is listening or not. Interactions are definitely faster and more accurate than previous models and working with the AI is chat mode is great. But here’s the rub… that and other cool features are locked behind a paywall and requires a subscription. Now to be fair, Amazon has done the same with their AI platform so I can understand this attempt to make something back on all the investments in AI coding and processing, so I can’t fault them. (But it doesn’t mean I have to like it, either!) If you are already vested in Google’s infrastructure, this is a no brainer purchase. And there are a number of ways to save money on a subscription, for instance I have a sizable number of Google products and services in play, so a Google One account made sense to me. Besides cloud storage, Smart Home and AI premium features, it worked out to be a great deal for me. Since the purchase includes 6 months of premium access, you get a nominal time to figure out whether the advanced features are worth it to you. As I write this review, it is about a month away from the next Made by Google event and I hope that they announce a new speaker with a screen, based on this speaker’s style as it is aesthetically pleasing and fits well with most decors. But until that time, I would recommend this as an upgrade or a first purchase.

In the box you will find the speaker and AC adapter. The cord itself is attached to the speaker. If it ever fails the whole unit will have to be replaced. Definitely a design flaw. There is a sliding control on the bottom to mute the microphone and you can just tap the top or sides of the unit to play/pause or for volume control. Why not just use the voice control? Setup was fairly easy as I already had a Google speaker and the Home app on my phone. It did make me install it twice as I initially declined Gemini and it didn’t like that. Once you upgrade to Gemini you cannot go back to the regular Google Assistant. 6 months of Home Premium were included with this unit (by 9/30/26). Home Premium includes sound detection for breaking class and smoke alarms and Gemini Live which has more integration. Even with the basic Gemini version you can still integrate with your other connected devices; i.e. Nest. Conversing with Gemini Live is more conversational. I asked what was happening in my town today and it provided a list with local activities. It also mentioned the parade at noon, but it had already finished. It should be able to distinguish what has already occurred. As with most AI, Gemini needs some more time to fully be useful. Volume level at 10 is not that loud. Speakers should be able to go louder than this. While I don’t usually use level 10, there are times I need the speaker to go louder. Especially when using as a timer. Sound quality is very good but not as good as a high-quality speaker. I played my Sirius XM subscription and it sounded very good. Dancing while cooking is always fun. I do like the Google Home Speaker. The competitor doesn’t know how to provide a dew point, but Google can. That’s important in the muggy Midwest. Time will tell how Gemini improves.