Google Announces $100 Home Speaker With HomePod Mini-Like Design and Gemini AI

[MacRumors]

Google today announced the launch of a new Google Home Speaker, which has a more HomePod mini-like design than prior versions of the smart speaker.

Priced at $100, the speaker has a squat, rounded shape with a 3D knit fabric covering and a colorful light ring at the bottom so you know when the speaker is listening. It comes in Jade, Berry, Porcelain, and Hazel. Google says the speaker offers richer, 360-degree sound, balanced acoustics, and the ability to pair multiple speakers together.

The speaker's design is reminiscent of the HomePod mini, but it isn't quite as round. Google is targeting the same price point, as Apple sells the HomePod mini for $99. It's been some time since Apple upgraded the HomePod mini, but we could get a refresh as soon as this year.

The new Google Home Speaker integrates with Gemini for Home and a new Google Home Premium service that's powered by Google's Gemini AI. Natural voice chat is supported for AI conversations, and all the AI features you might expect are available like conversational context. You can ask questions about cooking, trips, planning, explore ideas, study, manage calendars, learn languages, get advice, learn skills, play music, and more.

Google added a physical toggle to turn off the microphone for a privacy mode that ensures the speaker isn't listening to conversations.

The Google Home Premium service is a key part of the updated Google Home Speaker, and it is meant to integrate with speakers, cameras, displays, and more, providing AI oversight and simple, conversation-based automation. If you have connected cameras, Google Home Premium can analyze footage and let you know what happens when you're away, plus it powers smart alerts for detecting packages, people, doors left open, and smoke alarms. Google's Gemini AI integration gives its speaker capabilities that the HomePod and the HomePod mini currently lack.

Google's new speaker is set to come out in spring 2026, and it will be priced at $100. Google Home Premium Standard is priced at $10 per month or $100 per year for Gemini Live and home automation features, while Google Home Premium Advanced is priced at $20 per month or $200 per year for daily summaries and video history search options. Access is also included in Google AI Pro and Google AI Ultra.

Google Home Premium replaces Nest Aware. Google Home Speaker owners can ask Gemini questions at no cost because Gemini for Home is included, but Gemini Live (the voice-based chat feature), AI automations, sound detection, AI-powered notifications, Home Brief, video history search, and daily briefings require Google Home Premium.

Google also debuted new Nest Cam Indoor, Nest Cam Outdoor, and Nest Doorbell cameras with 2K HDR video, improved low-light performance, and Google Home Premium integration.

Article Link: Google Announces $100 Home Speaker With HomePod Mini-Like Design and Gemini AI

 

[MacUserFella]

We’ve officially come to the point where major companies like Samsung, Xiaomi, and Google are copying Apple, at first it was lowkey, but this just screams “We are like Apple! Please buy us!”

 

[hieranonymous]

Google and Amazon are updating their HomePod Mini clones faster than Apple updates the real thing.

 

[MrTemple]

I'm imagining just how much the designers at Google were paid to come up with this. 😭

 

[East India Company]

Well well, if this is not ugly...

 

[Astuces iOS]

No copyright claim?

 

[Kylo83]

Who cares about copy the design. The fact Gemini especially Gemini live is insane and a million times better than Siri. My HomePod mini struggles simple questions. Gemini live is like speaking to a real person

 

[211]

Do other companies wait until there’s an Apple rumor to then update their products, otherwise they won’t bother? HomePod mini hasn’t had any significant changes in years, now there’s a rumour of one, they now act

 

[blahbar]

You mean Amazon Echo Dot like, right? The homepod mini came 4 years later and was a very late to the game entry in the small home smart speaker market.
I know, I know, this is macrumours. Everything has to be spun in a way that suggests all things originated with Apple...

 

[MaxVerstappen]

We’ve officially come to the point where major companies like Samsung, Xiaomi, and Google are copying Apple, at first it was lowkey, but this just screams “We are like Apple! Please buy us!”

If you can’t beat them, join them!

 

[dreamerstree]

Is google listening to and mining all my information a feature?

 

[Dave245]

We’ve officially come to the point where major companies like Samsung, Xiaomi, and Google are copying Apple, at first it was lowkey, but this just screams “We are like Apple! Please buy us!”

But Google's Gemini will be so much better in the speaker than Siri, that this point it's laughable of what the HomePod can do.

 

[now i see it]

Computer, where is Lieutenant Barclay?
Lieutenant Barclay I’m in hollow deck 2.

 

[boswald]

Do other companies wait until there’s an Apple rumor to then update their products, otherwise they won’t bother? HomePod mini hasn’t had any significant changes in years, now there’s a rumour of one, they now act

That’s what I’m starting to believe.

 

[ryanmp]

Let's just hope Apple is more focused on making their HomePod mini less of a paperweight than being concerned about the design of competitors. Nice speaker, borderline useless in most other ways.

 

[robertc2k]

Wow, is that ugly.

 

[Naraxus]

Yeah no thanks. Google has repeatedly shown they can't be trusted with user data (or anything else for that matter). I'll be sticking with my Homepods tyvm.

 

[ChrisA]

We’ve officially come to the point where major companies like Samsung, Xiaomi, and Google are copying Apple, at first it was lowkey, but this just screams “We are like Apple! Please buy us!”

You miss the point of this product. It is an entry to an AI-based service. The fact that it is a round speaker is unimportant. If all it were was a round speaker, it would be about 3X overpriced.

So, when you rethink this as an AI-based home automation system, Google is miles ahead of Apple

 

[falainber]

We’ve officially come to the point where major companies like Samsung, Xiaomi, and Google are copying Apple, at first it was lowkey, but this just screams “We are like Apple! Please buy us!”

That's just typical Apple fans ignorance. Here is the Google Nest Mini (2017):

Who is copying who?

 

[johnsawyercjs]

I'm imagining just how much the designers at Google were paid to come up with this. 😭

Google designer: "What if Apple's HomePods were made of marshmallow, and you pushed down on one of them--what would it look like? I know!"

 

[ungoogled]

I wouldn't want that creepin in my house.

 

[Rafagon]

Is that FineWoven?!

 

[MrTemple]

That's just typical Apple fans ignorance. Here is the Google Nest Mini (2017):

Who is copying who?

The Homepod was unveiled 28 months before and released 18 months before the Google Nest Mini. 🤔

Google Nest Mini was unveiled and released in October 2019.

Apple Homepod was unveiled in June 2017 and came out in February 2018.

 

[falainber]

The Nest Mini came out 18 months after and was unveiled over two years after the Homepod. 🤔

Google Nest Mini was unveiled and released in October 2019.

Apple Homepod was unveiled in June 2017 and came out in February 2018.

There is some confusion regarding device naming. On the picture, it is actually Google Home Mini. Google unveiled the Google Home Mini during a hardware-focused event on October 4, 2017, which was released on October 19, 2017.

Apple HomePod looks nothing like this (and it was released later).

And then there was the original Amazon Echo Dot (released on March 2016). Edit: original Dot looked differently.

 

[villagehiker]

Google has been trying to imitate Apple since at least when Google CEO Eric Schmidt sat on the Apple board of directors from 2006 to 2009. Google launched the Android a year after the iPhone.

Google really lacks the sense of product design and engineering durability innate to Apple. Of course, Google also does not respect customer privacy.

The product looks similar to the Apple Homepod, but…