Customer Ratings & Reviews

First off, despise its size which i though it was going to be bigger (its like two nest minis on top of eachother) its sound has a more rich deeper bass and it has a Treble and Bass equalizer on the google home app. The sound is truly 360 and pretty loud for the size. The design is google's signature futuristic curvy design, it has movable fabric (dont worry its mot THAT delicate) the fabric cannot be taken off, nothing can be taken off not even the cable.. which is a bummer but its pretty long! The ease of the setup was pretty easy, it should be as easy as setting up earbuds. I really do like the sound, control, placement, and the lights. The lights give it more aesthetic. I mainly use it for music, alarms, chatting with google's Gemini AI and other home AI like the nest.

I love how it looks, it's very intelligent, and actions are very fast, about 2 seconds or so, i have the berry color and the fabric is very stretchy and soft

The price is the only thing holding this speaker back. It is a perfect entry into the smart home ecosystem, but as well as a great sounding speaker. It not only fills the room, but fills the entire floor of the house. Additinally, it serves as a matter hub, so you can use it as a bridge to connect all matter devices. Only other complaint is that whenever you use the apple music connection in the google home app, it doesnt understand the request to play music from your library. Full size stick of deoderant for scale

I have 2 of these so far, I am thinking of getting 1 of each color. I have the white one and the jade one. I am slowly replacing my Google Nest Mini's with these, I have them paired throughout the house for music and the sound on these is amazing! Highly recommend especially if you want to pair them for great sound around your home!

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

This speaker really can be very basic or mediocre or it can be fantastic because it entirely depends on what you need it for. The speaker itself is great and has great audio. But all of the other Google home functions as well as the microphone and the aesthetics of it can easily be had with the basic Google nest previous generation speakers which would be cheaper and offer you the same services.

It was difficult to find, but well worth the wait. Has better bass than most small speakers. Super easy setup, and blends in with any decor.

It’s ok, not as loud or responsive as I thought it would be. Also, they’re doing the McDonald’s…. This speaker is the size of the old $49 speaker, yet it’s selling for the price the bigger speaker ($99) used to sell for. Corporate greed, I tell you what…

This product is great! My kids loving ask google every question they can think of, and it makes our lives easier with the reminders from our calendars!

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.

So far so good no complaints but nothing so amazing that we waited how many years for it

I own the "original" Google Home Mini (i.e. the little one before it became Nest) and was impressed on day 1 of its volume and sound quality (and moderately impressed by its Google Assistant responses). Google set a high bar for me back in 2017(?) as far as sound quality in a tiny form factor is concerned. Consequently, I was eager to get my hands on and test the newest speaker release especially now that Gemini has replaced Google Assistant. Unfortunately, for a device 3x the original size, I don't see an improvement in audio quality (and feel it is not as good) but I do see a bump in "assistant" quality. It isn't that this device isn't a good Google smart home speaker, but because of its larger size I expected a more robust audio experience. The out-of-the-box experience is a bit muffled and distant, in my opinion. EQ-ing the music source improves the experience somewhat. The new model does bring a slightly deeper bass, but at the expense of crisp vocals...in my opinion. I have since tweaked the more/less bass and treble slider in the Google Home app for the device and found a satisfactory, but not great, setting for music. Adding the speaker to my existing Google Home experience was a piece of cake. Connect the device to the power source (included--and requiring a 30W power source which is included in the packaging) then open the Google Home app on your phone and click add a device. Your phone will do all the work from there including joining your network and your Google Home environment (with an option to rename the device and join it to a room or speaker group). HOWEVER...we did experience an oddity after setting up the device. Once the device was joined to the network and Google Home, I assumed I was done setting it up. I casted some music from the YouTube Music app on my phone to the speaker. I moved about the house a fair amount--enough to put at least 50-100' of home/walls/garage between me and the speaker at several points. The YouTube Music app on my phone stopped interacting with the Home Speaker (stopped updating the tracks or controlling volume) but the device kept playing my playlist. At that point, I could only control the speaker via the Google Home's "device" controller. Google Home showed the proper song title, volume controls, etc. but the YouTube Music app on my phone had control. I have experienced this phenomenon with older Google cast devices such as the early generation audio and video "chromecast" dongles but assumed it was due to outdated hardware. This was a minor disappointment, me as I prefer to use the YTM app rather than the device's Google Home controls to navigate my music selections. Another oddity after setup was that my Pixel 9 and my wife's Pixel 8 BURNED THROUGH BATTERY for the first 24hrs after I plugged the speaker in. On both phones, we saw the speaker was stuck in a "loading song" loop even though we had quit streaming music on it several hours earlier. We each had to manually kill the YouTube Music and Google Home apps on our phones to return to normal. The problem has not yet reoccurred, so it was likely a one-off problem. Gemini works as well as you would expect it to--which is notably better than the older Google Assistant. You can't really credit the device for that, as it is Google AI working behind the scenes doing all the research and work for you--not the speaker. Nonetheless, I appreciate that the speaker dims audio output when you speak to it and listen to its reply. For the record, I asked the assistant for a 10-day forecast for a city I will be in next week and the response was thorough--we'll see how accurate the forecast was in a few days, but I will not be packing a raincoat as a result of the response! I also asked the device to add a meeting to my calendar for Monday at 1p. Because I have 3 live GMail-based accounts, I was curious to see if it would assume a particular calendar (it assumed my personal account over my work account) or ask me which calendar to update. Given I have about 6 always listening "Google Assistant" devices in my house, Google continues to do a pretty good job of figuring out which device is supposed to listen/respond/act. When I am in the kitchen (one room away from the new Google Home Speaker) where my original Google Home Hub lives, the kitchen knows to respond to a request to set a timer or turn on the TV rather than my phone or the new office speaker...or the old home mini speaker which is also in the office for the sake of this review. Not sure how Google Home figures all of that out, but I am pleased the device's "listening" capabilities didn't override anything my Google Home system previously learned. A few other thoughts related to other reviewer comments about the speaker: - I have not experienced latency between request and response - I have not experienced (but have not yet asked a ton of questions/commands yet) any disconnect between Google Home requests and legacy equipment - I have found interacting with Gemini to be very conversational; virtually no misunderstandings if I stumble or change my mind about a command or question mid-sentence - The speaker still has touch volume controls but no longer has the 4 illuminated dots to let you know how low/high your volume is--or if it is muted - I keep my prompts very simple, logical and straight-forward and have NOT experienced "AI hallucinations" where Gemini assumes something it shouldn't - There is no "on" light to let you know whether or not the device is powered and connected but if the device is muted, there is a "muted" light that will display; the speaker base illuminates in multiple colors when you talk to it or when it is "thinking"--that light can be controlled by the Home app Final thought... I did activate the 6-month Google Home Premium trial included with this device ($10/mo after trial, supposedly) because I have Google doorbell and floodlight cameras and wanted to see the difference between the free tier and the paid tier. Basically, I get a true video history rather than "just the last 4 hours" for my Google camera devices. Additionally, you get facial recognition for the cameras and a "sound detection" that can alert you remotely (?) if your fire alarm or carbon monoxide alarms go off as well as emergency calling from the speaker devices. I would recommend the device because it is properly priced for what it is even though I am a bit disappointed that the larger footprint didn't lead to a more positive, robust audio experience. [I would not recommend the speaker for an audiophile.] The Gemini integration is a definite improvement, but I do worry about some of the initial glitches returning (i.e. YouTube Music getting stuck or only the Google Home app controlling the music).

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.

My new Porcelain-hued Google Home Smart Speaker arrived in excellent condition, securely packaged. Since I already utilize the Google Home application for my two existing first-generation speakers, the setup process was seamless ~ I simply scanned the QR code located on the base of the unit. After positioning the device in my living room near the television, I synchronized it with my other speakers. I recommend keeping your mobile device nearby to ensure a stable connection. The unit utilizes a Thread network, which significantly enhances its operational performance and efficiency. While I declined the option to share diagnostic data for product improvement, the device handles its own software updates automatically. Upon accepting the legal terms, I activated Gemini for Home, which allows for brainstorming, learning about new subjects, or requesting expert guidance through simple voice commands. I have already begun utilizing it for daily scheduling and general support. The speaker allows for simultaneous control of multiple smart devices. I was glad to find that Google includes a complimentary six-month trial of the Home Premium service although I am currently undecided about long-term subscription since I already pay for other smart home services, it is a nice perk. I upgraded to the Gemini Voice Assistant, which has now replaced the standard assistant across all three of my devices. I personally selected the "Bloom" male voice for its pleasant, calming tone. I also enabled Voice Match, which required reciting a few "Hey Google" phrases to train the system to recognize my speech. I have kept the microphone active and authorized full voice responses, as there are no children in the household. Additionally, I opted-in to sound detection features, such as glass breaking or smoke alarms, though these can be disabled if preferred. I chose to forgo saving my audio recordings in the Google Home history. So far, I have used it to get weather forecasts, listen to a surprisingly high-quality ghost story, and handle various daily inquiries. Am thinking of moving it into my bedroom so perhaps I can listen to some sleep stories as I fall asleep. This model is considerably more sophisticated than my previous ones, and I wholeheartedly recommend it ~ it is a delightful addition to any home!

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.

So I actually have a bit of the Google home ecosystem and experienced at first a Google nest mini, and with the Google home speaker it seems to be a much noticeably better sounding type of upgrade. There’s more of a 360 surround type of sound (but still maybe in a mono type of way) and has the same integration when speaking commands to set the temperature on my Google nest thermostat. It feels more rugged and is taller than the nest mini and seemingly has the same depth/diameter, yet a smaller footprint. And where that foot print is, just at the base is a colorful LED light ring when hearing your commands; And when I do speak those commands, it is more instantaneous than before, and appears to better hear me clearly whenever I’m either gaming or have the tv on. Asides from just speaking commands like checking the weather, translation of a word or getting a definition, movie start times and etc, I also stream music which I currently have SiriusXM radio (which they gave me a complimentary nest mini). And this speaker is meant to be placed either on a desk, nightstand, shelf, etc but there is no hanging type of hole for this to be held up to hang over a nail or a push pin like the nest Mini did. All in all, this is a better replacement and if you want more base and surrounding 360 sound from a smaller speaker (nothing to big and wide but portable and space saving) - especially streaming services then this speaker would be it.

I own nearly every Google product from phones to watches, tablets and even earbuds. My home is also filled with Google Mini speakers, Home speakers, Nest Hub Max and tv's that run on Google OS. So, when Google announced the new Home speaker I was very eager to try it and see what improvements had been made. Unfortunately, as soon as I opened the box I was greeted with a very disappointing and quite frankly puzzling design decision by Google. The power cord is permanently attached to the speaker. This means that if the power cord fails for any reason, your speaker is worthless. Also, this restricts you from placing the speaker in an area where you might need a longer cord. This decision is contrary to all other Google products. It was unexpected, and to be honest, I would have passed on this product had I known this in advance. And while we are talking about questionable design decisions, this speaker has a material cover with much larger holes or pores than the material used on all previous speakers. These larger holes are a magnet for dust and lint. I got the Hazel color, which clearly shows all of the dust and lint caught in these holes. This was another thing I wish I had previously known. By no means is this a bad product if not for the above. The overall design is attractive. It is much smaller than the previous Home speakers, but a little more than twice as tall as the mini. However, it has the same footprint as the mini. It has an illuminated LED light at the bottom which lets you know when the speaker is listening. This is similar to the 4 tiny LEDs that would illuminate on the previous models. You can control the volume by tapping left or right and a small LED on either side will illuminate. In the box, you get the speaker, a plug power adapter and a quick start guide. You should download the Google Home app if you don't already have it. You should be able to just plug the speaker in and open the app to set up. However, my Google Home app ket stating that it could not communicate with the speaker. I tried everything from unplugging the speaker to turning off the Home app several times. I repeated this so many times that I was about to give up when it finally worked. As for performance, the speaker is noticeably better than the Google Mini speakers that I have. The sound is much richer and fuller. The speaker is also very responsive and conversations with Gemini work very well. To summarize, the overall look of the new Google Home speaker is nice and modern and the sound quality is improved. However, I mostly use my Home speakers for conversation. Therefore, keeping the 2 questionable design decisions in mind, I would only recommend this speaker to those who either don't currently have a Google speaker or are in need of an additional one.

TLDR: A new Google Home Speaker list priced at $100 which delivers excellent audio quality for its small size. It uses Gemini for Home, Google’s new AI assistant, which is not as smooth or “friendly” as Alexa Plus is now. Also, the Home app is not that great for settings and took many tries to recognize and to add my wifi to the speaker device. This speaker punches above its weight class in terms of sound quality. It is a compact speaker and produces clear sound. The specs say it uses a 58mm full‑range single driver speaker inside the dome but it produces great sound and runs loud if wanted. . There is an illuminated LED ring at the base which covers several colors but is mostly blue and white while in use. With that it copies the market leader or Amazon Alexa with their color rings and bars. The top has 2 Invisible touch controls which are normally dark but seemingly appear when tapped; they need explanation to discover them. Tapping the top of the mesh speaker mutes the sound and another tap starts the sound. In addition there is a slider mute switch on the bottom of the device. Why on the bottom where it has to be picked up to use? . The Google Home app uses a QR code to identify the device to add it to your “home”. But getting it to actually connect to my home WiFi took days of trying. I actually brought it to a cousin’s home to try it with his WiFi and it worked there after 2 attempts. After that connection it seemingly downloads updates to both the Home app on my Samsung tablet with Android 14 and some updates to the speaker also. After letting it sit for maybe a half hour it worked to accurately reply to spoken requests regarding time, weather, and some recent news. I also connected it to SOMA FM and that worked but connecting it to my existing Sirius XM account was not too evident but I eventually found the app menu that allowed that. When I returned to my home it again took a few tries to change the wifi, in the app, to mine and amazingly it also worked at my home with my WiFi. One quirk I found is that Sirius XM channels stop playing after a short time period. I will keep trying and see if it updates or adjusts whatever it needs to be adjusted to keep streaming without stopping. The app allows adjusting bass and treble for the speaker. It plays loud. Gemini on this Google Home Speaker is OK but it is definitely not as sharp and conversational as Alexa Plus which I also have on smart speakers.

The Google Home Speaker (2026) is a nice, small smart speaker from Google optimized for Gemini live available in four unique colors. In the box is the Home Speaker with integrated cable and a 30W USB C power adapter. The speaker is small, roughly a 4” sphere, with a clean modern design featuring a 3D woven cover with hidden capacitive touch controls and an RGB lighting on the bottom that visually indicates state of speaker. While interacting with Gemini it has a colorful pattern, while playing or responding white, and when the microphone is off it is amber. The microphone is disabled through a physical switch, which is nice in addition to the visual indication it is off. Gemini live is great to have on the speaker and provides good interactions and responses. The speaker volume is good with sound quality average but fair considering it only has a single 58mm driver. I found the quality much improved compared to the legacy home mini I previously owned. Google seems to have the speaker designed primarily for Gemini, with a relative flat sound and little depth. Though range is limited, I did find it sounded best at moderate volume and making it great for small spaces like a kitchen or office. Connectivity wise the speaker features WiFi 6, BT 5.4, and Thread 1.3 for Matter support. Overall, if you have used Gemini Live on another device the interaction is familiar and the speaker is a great way to have a dedicated device to ask questions while also being able to stream music. Though not for the audiophile, the Google Home Speaker is still a nice, affordable smart speaker for someone who is invested in the Google ecosystem.