Google opens pre-orders for its first smart speaker in six years

Google Opens Pre-Orders for First Smart Speaker in Six Years, Powered by Gemini AI

Google on Wednesday began accepting pre-orders for the Google Home Speaker, a $99.99 device that marks the company’s first new standalone smart speaker since the Nest Audio launched in 2020. Units are set to arrive on store shelves June 25 in 19 countries.9to5google

The speaker, first unveiled at a Made by Google event in October 2025, is built around Gemini for Home, the company’s AI voice assistant that replaces the older Google Assistant across smart home devices. It features 360-degree audio, a domed fabric design available in four colors — Porcelain, Hazel, Jade, and Berry — and a light ring at its base that signals when Gemini is listening or responding.9to5google

What’s Behind the Subscription

While Gemini for Home comes included with the speaker at no extra cost, several of the device’s most touted features require a Google Home Premium subscription. Gemini Live, which enables free-flowing conversational interactions, along with Sound Detection and Daily Summaries, are locked behind the paid tier. Google Home Premium Standard costs $10 per month or $100 per year, with an Advanced tier at $20 per month.the-gadgeteer

To soften that proposition, every Google Home Speaker purchase made before September 30 includes a six-month trial of Google Home Premium Standard.techadvisor

A Long Road to Launch

The speaker’s path to market was anything but smooth. When Google announced it in October 2025, the company promised a “Spring 2026” release and said it wanted to roll out Gemini to existing Nest devices first. That timeline stretched to its limit — astronomical spring does not end until June 21 — and the June 25 ship date was first leaked via a Best Buy Canada product listing in late May before Google’s own confirmation came this month.androidauthority

Anish Kattukaran, chief product officer for Google Home and Nest, teased the launch in an email to early access users in early June, noting that the team had implemented over 2,500 bug fixes and more than 50 feature updates since the Gemini for Home preview began. The Nest Mini and Nest Audio are now officially discontinued.techradar

The Google Home Speaker will be available in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and 16 other markets across Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Whether Google can sustain momentum in a category it left dormant for nearly six years remains an open question, particularly as Amazon’s Alexa+ and Apple’s HomePod continue to compete for the same countertop.9to5google