Summary
- Google briefly revealed a Gemini-powered smart speaker during its Pixel 10 keynote.
- The speaker reportedly uses Gemini, detects alarms/glass, supports Matter, and pairs for with Google’s TV Streamer for spatial TV audio.
- It’s unclear when the new smart speaker will launch.
Google’s cringe-worthy, Jimmy Fallon-hosted Pixel 10 reveal event featured a variety of device reveals, including the Pixel 10, the Pixel 10 Pro/Pro XL, Pixel 10 Pro Fold, Pixel Watch 4, and more, but one device category was mysteriously absent: smart speakers.
If you missed it, I don’t blame you since the still-unannounced Gemini-powered smart speaker only showed up briefly during a segment featuring F1 driver Lando Norris towards the beginning of the keynote. It looks sort of like a Nest Wifi Pro, but a little more stout, and there seems to be a light ring running around its base instead of dotted lights across the top like with the Nest Audio. You can see it sitting beside Norris on a side table at about 15:57 in Google’s keynote.
According to Android Headlines, the speaker is a real product that will launch in several different colors and pair with Google’s TV Streamer for spatial TV audio, similar to Apple’s HomePods and the Apple TV. Google might have forgotten to pull the smart speaker from this sketch, or maybe it left it in for hardcore fans — who knows?
We don’t know a lot about this mysterious smart home speaker yet
One thing is for sure — it’ll be powered by Gemini
The key draw with the new speaker is that it’s reportedly powered by Gemini and not Google Assistant, giving it more natural, conversational voice options and the ability to detect sounds like a smoke alarm or glass breaking. It also reportedly supports smart home connectivity protocol Matter. Earlier this week, Google announced Gemini for Home is coming to current Nest smart speakers and displays in October.
It’s unclear what Google’s new Gemini-powered smart speaker will be called, but Android Headlines refers to it as the “Home Speaker.” We also don’t know when it will be released, but my best guess is that we’ll see it launch in October alongside Gemini for Home.
Given how bad Google Assistant has become, Gemini definitely can’t make the Nest Audio speakers I have throughout my home any worse.
Given Google hasn’t updated its Nest Hub line since 2021, the tech giant is long overdue for a new smart speaker, especially given the issues Google Assistant and the Google Home app have experienced over the past few months with regard to third-party device support.
As a Google smart home device user, I’m very interested to see what Gemini brings to the tech giant’s smart home ecosystem. Given how bad Google Assistant has become, Gemini definitely can’t make the Nest Audio speakers I have throughout my home any worse.
