Google Launches First Smart Speaker in Six Years: Gemini Inside, $99, Available June 25

Google hasn't shipped a new standalone speaker in six years. This time it's bringing Gemini along for the comeback.

Three key facts

Hardware specs: on-device NPU with sub-100ms latency. Google has officially unveiled its next-generation Home smart speaker — the first standalone model since the 2020 Nest Audio. The headline feature is Gemini AI replacing the old command-based Google Assistant interaction model. The device packs an on-device NPU chip that Google says delivers voice response latency under 100 milliseconds. It supports multistep smart-home control in a single utterance, allows mid-sentence corrections, and ships with 10 new voices capable of two-way conversation. US pricing is $99.99, with UK at £99.99 and Europe at €119. Sales begin June 25.

Four colors and bundled subscriptions. The speaker comes in Porcelain, Hazel, Jade, and Berry, with Jade and Berry exclusive to the US market. Every pre-order includes a six-month Google Home Premium Standard trial (through September 30, 2026) plus three months of YouTube Premium.

Competitive landscape: three giants making their move at once. Google is not just facing longtime rival Amazon Alexa — Apple is also upgrading its HomePod lineup in the same window. All three companies share the same strategy: replacing rigid voice-command systems with large language models. Google, however, is the first to ship Gemini inside a standalone speaker.

WangDou's Take

$99, on-device NPU, sub-100ms latency — the spec sheet looks great, but Google's biggest problem in smart home has never been hardware. It's the speed at which it kills products. Nest Hub Max — discontinued. The Google Home app — redesigned so many times users revolted. And now: "This time we're serious, it's Gemini." Six years to ship one new speaker while Amazon cycled through three generations of Echo. The more practical question: your home is already full of old devices that only understand "Hey Google" — will the new speaker's Gemini play nicely with them? Google hasn't said. What it has said is that you get six months of membership trials, because subscriptions are where the real money is.

Source: TechTimes — Google Home Speaker Launches June 25: Gemini Replaces Assistant After Six Years