Google’s new Gemini-powered smart speaker is finally available for pre-order

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It feels like it’s been forever since Google first teased its next-generation smart speaker, the Google Home Speaker, but we’ve actually only known about it since last year. Google Home head Anish Kattukaran teased last week that we should “keep a very close eye” out for more info in the near future — and today, we’ve got it. The Google Home Speaker is officially going up for pre-order today, with general availability coming soon.

The new speaker comes with Gemini built in, plus a six-month trial of Google Home Premium that enables extra features like access to Gemini Live. It comes in four colors and costs $99.99.

Google advertises the Home Speaker as offering a larger driver and “2.5x stronger bass” than the ubiquitous Nest Mini speaker. It’s got a 58-millimeter driver positioned centrally to produce sound in all directions. That’s smaller than the outgoing Nest Audio’s 75-millimeter woofer, which is paired with a dedicated 19-millimeter tweeter (the Google Home Speaker doesn’t have one of those). We’ll have to wait and see how the two compare once we’ve had the chance to test them head-to-head.

My colleague Stephen Schenck tried the Google Home Speaker late last year and came away impressed with Gemini on speakers generally, but wondered whether the Google Home Speaker was a sensible upgrade for Nest Audio users, who can also access Gemini Live with the right subscription plan. The Google Home speaker does feature the option to seamlessly pair with the Google TV Streamer to output TV audio, though — something Google’s other smart speakers can only accomplish over regular Bluetooth.

The Google Home Speaker is available for pre-order starting today on the Google Store for $99.99. If you buy the speaker before the end of September, you’ll also get a six-month subscription to Google Home Premium. General availability on the Google Store and at other retailers begins on Thursday, June 25.

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