Google built a great smart speaker, but Gemini isn’t ready for it
The Google Home Speaker is Google’s first smart speaker in years. And it’s pretty! | Photo: Jennifer Patison Tuohy / The Verge Smart speakers have spent the past few years searching for a compelling second act. Beyond music, timers, and controlling your lights, they've struggled to justify taking up space on the kitchen counter. AI promised to change that. Amazon debuted its new hardware powered by a revamped Alexa last fall, and now it's finally Google's turn. The Google Home S
Get smart on it
Google has released a new smart speaker that features strong hardware design and sound quality, but its AI assistant Gemini for Home is still unfinished and unreliable. Smart speakers have struggled in recent years to justify their place in homes beyond basic functions like music and timers, with AI promised as a solution to this problem. The new speaker represents Google's first significant smart speaker update in six years and signals renewed commitment to the smart home market, following similar moves by competitors like Amazon. However, the software's slowness and unreliability, combined with paywalled features, prevent the device from delivering the AI-powered experience that consumers have been waiting for.
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