Google has finally made a new smart speaker, its first in roughly six years. The more interesting thing it has made is a reason to pay it every month.
The Google Home Speaker costs $99.99, opens for preorder today and ships on June 25. It is the first audio device built around Gemini for Home, Google’s replacement for the ageing Assistant.
On paper it is a tidy upgrade: 360-degree sound from a single 58mm driver, roughly 2.5 times the bass of the old Nest Mini, four colours and a chip with enough local processing to filter out background noise.
The free speaker that isn’t quite free
Here is the catch. The $99 buys you conversation, quick answers and smart-home control. The features Google spent the launch talking up do not come with it.
