The new Google Home Speaker is the latest tech on offer from the company and for some they have asked why which I get and you might ask why and this is the Nest Audio speaker which is a bigger version of what we now have today and it is 6 years old so what is the difference between the both products.
The new speaker is smaller looks better and wrapped in fabric it has two colours here in Ireland but the US as usual get the other options and fits well in any area in your home it is almost as loud as the old audio speaker for its size which is nothing to sniff at and generally works the same, you have one switch on the underside for the audio and then three touch areas on the outside, volume on each side and play and pause or stop on the top, the underside has a ring which emits colours when in use but looks nicer and gives a nice ambient light effect if sat on your bedside locker.
There is a power cable we need to discuss, it is too short and fixed this needs to be addressed in their next update as it does limit as to where it can be placed in the house for me I have extra plugs and sockets in house as they are required for what I do but for other not the same
There is lots of smarts on deck as expected and given my recent two week trial it has been a hit and miss but it is learning and I have an array of Google Products in the house especially cameras which by the way Google need to release some newer models as these are old and one actually only shows black and white but they still do their job I guess and here is where I ran into some issues with those cameras and a Tapo system.
At times it said it had access and showed the cameras and at times it did not so for example if I say show me my security cameras or products connected it will show them all or say there is no access to streaming devices by which you can actually also connect your TV streamer from Google if you have one. This seemed to be random however and it is still learning and for me will get better over time but a great feature to have and display the cameras to connected devices and also you can get reports of incidents during the day which is great.
What else can it do then, well evertyhing you ask it but only audible you can hold conversations set up timers alarms tasks reminders get directions cooking menus and much more and is generally accurate, I am not one to shout at tech all day but I like this and it also has several voices to pick from which is a good change. Perhaps going down the road their next iteration could have a screen which would be nice, I use my hub quite alot and use this for now but this is using two devices to do one thing which is annoying..But no huge deal to be honest.
The audio quality is great decent enough bass with a 58mm driver and is loud enough it is clear and can be heard in a large room you do not also need to be sat right beside it either to get it to answer your questions it appears to have a good range there too which is nice.
Overall this is a nice upgrade if you will and nicer and neater looking than the Nest Audio which will get the same benefits however when it comes to choice this is where the divide is for me it is no issue the Nest Audio will be discontinued and perhaps you could pick one up cheap on the web for less than the price you pay for the home speaker, for me I like it though I have used it more than any other speaker and it sits nicely now on my desk set-up due to its size and have fun conversations with it.
Google Home Speaker
Features
- Ask complex questions: Gemini reasons through multiple steps to answer nuanced questions. For instance, if you ask, “What’s the weather going to be like for the next <insert your favorite team name> baseball game?” Gemini intelligently figures out when the game is, where it’s located and what the weather will be like at game time to deliver you a precise answer.
- Get more done with two-way conversations: Gemini has conversational context (a “short-term memory”), so it follows the thread of your discussion enabling real back-and-forth interactions. Ask follow-up questions to dive deep on a topic or string together multiple tasks. No need to re-specify context. Gemini will follow along. And, with Continued Conversation, the microphone stays open briefly after a response so you can ask follow-up questions without repeating “Ok Google.” Continued
- Natural and Expressive voices: Gemini ships with 10 new natural sounding voices designed to compliment the vast new ways that you can interact with your voice assistant. Pick the voice that’s right for your home.
- Gemini Live: Say, “Hey Google, let’s chat” to have natural, free-flowing chats where you can brainstorm, change topics and interrupt.
- Camera History Search: Ask your speaker to describe current or recent activity captured on your Nest cams: “Hey Google, is my back gate open?” You can also ask about familiar faces or pets: “Hey Google, did Rover go on the couch today?”
- Home Briefs: Whether you’re away for the weekend or just the afternoon, ask Gemini for a summary of what happened around the house while you were out.
- Plan your next trip or outing: Brainstorm ideas for a family outing, ask about the next free weekend afternoon and block it off. Don’t forget to ask what the weather will be like so you’ll be prepared.
- Get help in the kitchen: Ask for some quick, healthy and delicious school lunch ideas, and then ask to add the ingredients you’ll need to your shopping list.
- Unwind from the day with entertainment: Dive deeper into your latest interests and find great content. For example, say, “Hey Google, recommend a good podcast about scientific breakthroughs with entertaining 30-minute episodes that I can listen to after a long work day.”
