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Google Unveils $99.99 Gemini-Powered Smart Speaker

June 17, 2026 at 12:35 EDT

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On June 17, 2026, Google formally introduced the "Google Home Speaker," its first standalone smart speaker built specifically for the Gemini AI, priced at $99.99. It is the company's first new smart speaker in roughly six years, since the Nest Audio of September 2020.Tech report

June 2026 · Google Home

Google Bets on Gemini to Reinvent the Smart Speaker

The $99.99 Google Home Speaker is the company's first new model since 2020 — and its first built specifically for the generative AI assistant Gemini, handling multi-step commands and natural conversation.

$99.99

Launch price of the speaker

New voices, with 360° audio

360°

Audio in a 3.4×4.2 in. body

First new speaker in nearly 6 years

The dedicated Gemini device follows a long pause in standalone hardware.

Sep 2020

Nest Audio

→

Jun 2026

Gemini Speaker

Replacing the legacy Google Assistant with Gemini across the smart home.

Advanced features require a subscription

$10/mo or $100/yr — Google Home Premium · unlocks Gemini Live & camera summaries · 6-month free trial

Praise

Natural, flowing conversation
Handles complex, multi-step tasks
Follow-ups without "OK Google"

Concerns

Simple commands less reliable than before
Hallucinated responses reported
Camera misrecognition seen as a risk

The smart-home race is shifting from speakers to AI assistants — with Amazon's Alexa+ on Echo and Apple's integration on HomePod racing alongside Gemini.

How smoothly existing Nest and Google Home devices migrate to Gemini will likely shape the verdict.

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