Google's New $99 Smart Speaker: Everything You Need to Know
Google finally made a new smart speaker. After six years of silence (the Nest Audio launched in 2020!), the new Google Home speaker arrives June 25 for $99.99 with Gemini AI, a Thread border router, and hardware that actually belongs in 2026.
The Long Wait Is Over
Six years. That’s how long Google left its speaker lineup to rot. The Nest Audio launched alongside the Pixel 5 in October 2020. The Nest Mini before it was a 2019 product. Both are now discontinued, and Google let them linger on shelves with aging chips and an AI assistant that fell further behind every month.
The new Google Home speaker replaces both. One device. $99.99. And it’s packed with enough hardware to justify the wait. Preorders opened June 17 (yesterday), and units ship June 25.
Design and Hardware
Google ditched the fabric-wrapped pill shape of the Nest Audio. The new speaker is rounder, shorter, and wider. It sits lower on a shelf or countertop with a more substantial presence. Think of it as splitting the difference between the old Nest Audio’s height and the Nest Mini’s compactness.
The top surface has touch-capacitive buttons for volume, play/pause, and muting the microphone. A light ring wraps around the bottom of the device (not the top like the old Nest Mini), which pulses and shifts color when Gemini is listening or responding.
Colors: Berry, Jade (US exclusive), Hazel, and Porcelain. The Jade is a deep teal green that looks fantastic in photos. Expect it to sell out first.
Under the hood, this thing is actually powerful for a smart speaker:
- Processor: Quad-Core ARM Cortex-A55 at 2.0 GHz
- AI Accelerator: Dedicated NPU for on-device Gemini processing
- RAM: 1GB LPDDR4
- Storage: 4GB
- Audio: 360-degree full-range driver
- Connectivity: WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, Thread
That dedicated NPU is the standout spec. It means some Gemini queries process locally without hitting Google’s servers. Faster responses. Works during internet outages for basic commands. That’s a meaningful upgrade over the old “send everything to the cloud” approach.
Gemini AI: Not Just Google Assistant With a New Name
This is the big one. The new Google Home speaker runs Gemini natively. Not Google Assistant with some Gemini features bolted on. Full Gemini.
What does that mean in practice? Conversational context. You can ask follow-up questions without repeating yourself. “What’s the weather tomorrow?” followed by “What about Saturday?” actually works. You can ask complex, multi-part questions. “Set a timer for 12 minutes, remind me to flip the chicken at 6, and play my cooking playlist” processes as one request.
Gemini also handles smart home control with natural language that would have confused old Google Assistant. “Make the living room feel cozy” can dim lights, adjust color temperature, and start ambient music if you’ve set up routines. “I’m leaving for work” can trigger a departure sequence across your entire home.
The speaker still supports legacy Google Assistant commands for backward compatibility. Your existing routines, timers, and smart home automations carry over from whatever Nest speaker you’re replacing.
For those choosing between voice platforms, check our Echo Show vs Nest Hub vs HomePod comparison for the full breakdown of displays, or our best smart home ecosystem guide if you’re still deciding on a platform.
Thread Border Router: The Hidden Killer Feature
Here’s what smart home enthusiasts should really care about. The new Google Home speaker is a Thread border router.
That means it connects Thread-based Matter devices (locks, sensors, lights) to your IP network automatically. Every one of these speakers you place in your home extends your Thread mesh network’s coverage and adds another border router for redundancy.
If your Thread network currently relies on a single HomePod Mini or a standalone border router, adding a Google Home speaker in another room strengthens the entire mesh. More border routers means better reliability for every Thread device in your home.
This makes the speaker pull double duty. It’s your Gemini AI interface AND your smart home infrastructure. At $99, buying two or three to cover a whole house starts to look very reasonable, especially compared to dedicated Thread border routers that cost $50-80 and don’t play music.
We cover Thread border router options in our best smart home hub guide, and the Google Home speaker immediately jumps to the top of that list for Google households. It also pairs beautifully with Matter-compatible devices across all major brands.
Audio Quality
Google promises 360-degree audio that fills a room evenly regardless of speaker placement. The Nest Audio was already solid for its price (better than Echo Dot, slightly behind HomePod Mini in clarity). Early hands-on reports suggest the new speaker improves bass response noticeably while maintaining the clear mids that made the Nest Audio good for podcasts and vocal music.
It won’t replace a dedicated bookshelf speaker or a HomePod (full-size) for serious music listening. But for a kitchen counter, bedroom nightstand, or home office desk, $99 buys genuinely enjoyable sound. You can also pair two for stereo, though Google hasn’t confirmed if this works at launch or comes in a later update.
Comparison Table: Smart Speakers 2026
| Speaker | Price | AI Assistant | Audio Quality | Smart Home Hub | Thread Border Router |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Home (2026) | $99.99 | Gemini AI | Very Good (360) | Yes (Matter, Google Home) | Yes |
| Apple HomePod Mini | $99 | Siri | Good | Yes (HomeKit, Matter) | Yes |
| Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) | $49.99 | Alexa | Decent | Yes (Alexa, Matter) | No (Zigbee only) |
| Google Nest Audio (discontinued) | $79.99 | Google Assistant | Good | Limited | No |
The Echo Dot wins on price at half the cost, but you lose Thread support and get Alexa instead of Gemini. The HomePod Mini matches on price and has Thread, but Siri remains frustratingly limited compared to Gemini for complex queries. The new Google Home speaker is the strongest overall package at this price point.
Setup and Migration
If you’re replacing a Nest Audio or Nest Mini, migration is straightforward through the Google Home app. Your room assignments, speaker groups, and routines transfer automatically. Music service links (Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music) carry over too.
New users need the Google Home app on iOS or Android. Setup takes about 5 minutes: plug in, open the app, follow the prompts. The Thread border router functionality activates automatically with no additional configuration.
One thing to note: if you’re in a multi-platform home using both Google and Apple devices, this speaker’s Thread border router will cooperate with Apple’s Thread network. Thread is an open standard. Your Apple Home devices and Google Home devices share the same Thread mesh without conflict.
Who Should Buy This?
Obvious yes: Anyone still using a Nest Audio or Nest Mini. Anyone in the Google/Android ecosystem wanting a voice assistant. Anyone needing another Thread border router. Anyone who’s been waiting for Gemini in a dedicated speaker form factor.
Probably not: Die-hard Apple households already covered with HomePod Minis (though it works fine as a secondary speaker). Audiophiles wanting premium sound (look at the full-size HomePod or dedicated speakers). People who just need a cheap alarm clock speaker (the $49 Echo Dot does that fine).
Best value play: Buy two. Put one in the kitchen, one in the bedroom. You get whole-home Gemini access and a rock-solid Thread mesh for $200 total. That’s less than a single HomePod (full-size) and covers more ground.
What’s Missing
No display. If you want visual feedback, recipes on screen, or video calls, you still need a Nest Hub (which is also overdue for a refresh). No Zigbee radio, so older smart home devices using Zigbee won’t connect directly. No line-in or aux port for wired audio input.
The 1GB of RAM is also worth watching. That’s enough for today’s Gemini models running locally, but as AI models grow, Google may need to offload more processing to the cloud on this hardware. The dedicated NPU helps, but this isn’t a device built for 5 years of on-device AI upgrades.
Pricing and Availability
- Price: $99.99
- Preorder: June 17, 2026 (live now)
- Ship date: June 25, 2026
- Where: Google Store, Best Buy, Target, Amazon
- Colors: Berry, Jade (US exclusive), Hazel, Porcelain
FAQ
Can the new Google Home speaker control non-Google smart home devices? Yes. It supports Matter natively, so any Matter-certified device (lights, locks, sensors, thermostats) from any brand works through the Google Home app. It also supports direct control of Chromecast devices, Nest cameras, and legacy Works with Google Home products.
Does it still support Google Assistant commands, or is it Gemini only? Both. Legacy Google Assistant commands and routines work as they always did. Gemini handles new conversational queries and complex multi-step requests. The transition is seamless, and you don’t need to specify which AI you’re talking to.
How does the Thread border router work? Do I need to configure anything? It’s automatic. Once the speaker is set up in the Google Home app, it begins functioning as a Thread border router immediately. Any Thread-based Matter devices in range will route through it. If you have multiple Thread border routers (HomePod Minis, other Google Home speakers), they coordinate automatically to form a resilient mesh network.
Can I use it as a Bluetooth speaker without WiFi? Yes. Bluetooth 5.3 is included for direct audio streaming from any phone, tablet, or laptop. Smart features require WiFi, but basic music playback works over Bluetooth alone.
Will it work with Apple Music and Spotify? Yes to both. Spotify Connect is supported for direct casting. Apple Music works through the Google Home app or via Bluetooth. YouTube Music, Pandora, Deezer, and iHeartRadio are also supported natively with voice commands.
The Bottom Line
Six years is an eternity in tech. Google could have phoned this in with a minor refresh and still sold millions to people replacing dead Nest Audios. Instead, they built something genuinely forward-looking. Gemini AI, a dedicated NPU, Thread border router functionality, and solid audio at $99. It’s the complete package.
The smart home hub landscape just got simpler. For Google households, this is your hub, your speaker, your AI assistant, and your Thread infrastructure in one $99 device. Check the Matter 1.6 updates to see what new device types your Thread network can now support. Preorders are live now. June 25 can’t come fast enough.