Update: June 17, 2026 — Preorders are live now on the Google Store. Here is what has been confirmed since this article was published.
- Yes, June 25 is the US date too. Preorder is live right now on the Google Store for delivery by June 25.
- No formal announcement. Google dropped this via the store and targeted media press. The preorder is the launch.
- Full specs are out. Single 58mm full-range driver, quad-core A55 processor at 2GHz with a dedicated NPU, 3 far-field microphones, and capacitive touch controls on top.
- Audio quality: between Nest Audio and Nest Mini. This is the disappointing news. Google confirmed to Ars Technica that the sound sits between the two older models. The new speaker is not an upgrade over the Nest Audio in audio quality — it is a slight step down. The tradeoff is the Gemini AI and the NPU for local processing.
- Gemini Live requires Home Premium. The speaker bundles a 6-month trial of Google Home Premium ($60 value). After that, full Gemini Live features require a $9.99/month subscription. What works without it is limited.
Other new details: The speaker pairs with the Google TV Streamer for “Immersive” audio mode. A light ring glows at the bottom when it is listening or responding. It has a physical mute switch. The Jade and Berry colors are US exclusives. Grab one on the Google Store while they last.
Google’s first Gemini smart speaker is real.
The Google Store already has the product page live. It’s called the Google Home Speaker. It’s $99.99. And a leak from French retailer Carrefour says it drops on June 25.
This is Google’s first new smart speaker in nearly 6 years. The Nest Audio came out in 2020. The Nest Mini in 2019. Both are now being quietly retired.
Let’s dig into what we know.
The Leak
Carrefour, a major French retailer, listed the Google Home Speaker on their site with a June 25 release date at €99 (roughly $106).
9to5Google broke the story on May 31, and outlets like Android Central, The Verge, and Chrome Unboxed all picked it up. Interestingly, most of those articles have since been taken down. That usually means someone made a phone call.
But the Google Store page is still up. And it’s got a lot of detail.
The Official Specs
The Google Home Speaker product page is fully live. Here’s what Google is showing:
- Price: $99.99 (same as the Nest Audio)
- Colors: Jade, Berry, Porcelain, Hazel
- Tagline: “Brilliant sound. Gemini magic.”
- Audio: 360-degree sound, described as “richer 360 sound”
- Availability: “Coming Spring 2026” with a “Get notified” button
- AI: Gemini built in, with Gemini Live for natural conversation
The speaker comes in four colors. The hero shots show a fabric-wrapped design that looks like a natural evolution of the Nest Audio, but taller and with a more defined silhouette.
The Gemini Difference
This is the big one. It’s Google’s first smart speaker with Gemini natively onboard.
The Google Store page talks about “Gemini Live” — natural, interruptible conversations where you can change topics, ask follow-ups, and basically talk to it like a person. Google is positioning this as a hands-free assistant for brainstorming, learning, and getting things done around the house. If you’re on an existing Google Home speaker, check out how to force the Gemini update.
There’s a catch though.
The Gemini Live features are tied to Google Home Premium, which costs $9.99/month normally. You get a 6-month trial with the speaker ($60 value), but after that, you’re paying. What works without the subscription is unclear. That’s an open question I’ll be watching closely.
The Smart Home Strategy
Google’s smart speaker lineup has been collecting dust since 2020.
The Nest Audio is officially out of stock on the Google Store. The Nest Mini redirects to the homepage — basically delisted. Google has been running on legacy hardware while Amazon kept iterating the Echo line.
This new speaker fixes that. It’s a full reset.
The name itself is a signal. “Google Home Speaker” revives the original branding from 2016, dropping the Nest name entirely. Google is treating this as a new chapter, not a refresh.
And with Gemini at the center, the whole Google Home ecosystem gets smarter. The same assistant that powers the speaker also runs on Nest Hubs, cameras, and doorbells. This speaker is the new hub of that system.
What We Don’t Know
A few things are still up in the air:
- Is June 25 the US date too, or just EU?
- Will Google do a formal announcement or just drop it on the store?
- What are the full specs? Driver size, mic array, dimensions — none of that is on the store page yet.
- How does it actually sound? The Nest Audio was good but not great. Six years is a long time for expectations to build.
- Can you use Gemini Live without the Home Premium subscription?
I’ll update this post as soon as any of those get answered.
Bottom Line
After half a decade of silence, Google is finally shipping a smart speaker that matters.
The Google Home Speaker hits the same $99 sweet spot as the Nest Audio. It brings Gemini AI into your living room for the first time. And if the June 25 date holds, it’s only a couple weeks away.
I’ve been waiting for Google to take smart home audio seriously again. This might be the one.
What do you think? Are you grabbing one on June 25? Drop a comment below.
Disclosure: This article is based on published reporting and the official Google Store product page. I have not tested this device hands-on. Pricing and availability are subject to change.
