Google Launches $99.99 Gemini Home Speaker
Get the Tech newsletter
Daily tech — startups, AI labs, chips, the launches that shape the next decade. Free.
- Google Home Speaker debuts at $99.99 as the first standalone smart speaker built specifically for Gemini and Google's first since the Nest Audio in September 2020.
- The device supports natural language and multistep requests — e.g., "turn off all the lights except for my bedside lamp" — plus mid-sentence corrections like "Turn off the coffee maker … I mean, turn it on!"
- Google Home Speaker ships with 10 new voices and a "Continued Conversation" feature that keeps the mic on briefly so users can ask follow-ups without saying "Hey, Google" again.
- Google Home Premium costs $10/month or $100/year for advanced features, including Gemini Live free-flowing conversations and AI-generated summaries of activity captured on Nest cameras.
- Premium features are free for the first six months, after which Google will push users to subscribe — the core monetization model for the device's AI capabilities.
- The 3.4 x 4.2-inch speaker retains the familiar 3D-knit textile wrap, adds a new bottom ring light that signals listening/thinking/responding states, and comes in Jade and Berry (U.S.) or Hazel and Porcelain (rest of world).
- The device is available for preorder now and will ship later this month.
Why it matters: Google is using a six-month free trial to convert smart speaker buyers into $10/month AI subscribers — layering a new recurring revenue stream on top of hardware margins. The bet is that Gemini's conversational upgrades (multistep requests, mid-sentence corrections, continued conversation) are compelling enough to justify another subscription for consumers already paying for music, video, and cloud storage.
