There are plenty of tech products out there. Some are great buys offering excellent value, but others aren’t. Most fall somewhere in the middle.
Unless you have the means to buy one of everything, you have to decide if something is the right fit for you. That can be hard; the companies making them will tell you that you need one to make your life complete, people who got a lemon or just didn’t like it will say the product is garbage, and reviewers simply can’t cover everything.
So many tech products! It can help if you take a breath, a step back, and think about what you really need. We’re here to help you do just that!
Often, it’s good to take a step back and see what you’re going to get inside that pretty package. Was it worth what you paid for it? Will you get enough use from it to justify the purchase? Or maybe you should hold off and see what’s coming next.
We can’t make those decisions for you, but we can tell you what we think and maybe where you should start your decision-making process.
Google has revamped its smart home lineup and is set to release a new Google Home Speaker in 2026 once the dust has settled. Should you think about buying one?
A smart speaker is undoubtedly a niche product. If you only want Google Gemini to answer questions or execute your commands, your phone can do that, so you don’t need one. Likewise for your music. There are many ways to pipe music into a room, and some sound a lot better than any smart speaker can.
The lure is the combination of the two. Gemini tells you about your day every morning, transitions to playing your latest playlist from YouTube Music or Spotify, and lets you know whether you should take an umbrella to work. One unit that does everything can be handy.
Even more so if you have other smart home devices. Yelling “Turn On The Lights!” into a dark room or having an electronic butler of sorts adjust the thermostat when you’re chilly is both fun and useful. A smart speaker does all that and more, too.
The Pros
The Google Home Speaker isn’t here yet, so saying whether you should buy it is impossible. But it’s never too early to think about what you might want to get next. Based on what we know today, there are several good reasons you might want one.
It will have a great price tag. Google says the Google Home Speaker will launch at $99. It’s easy to spend 99 bucks on things that will never be useful, so seeing a price this low is welcome.
It’s designed to be conversational. Google says a big part of the new experience will be naturally talking to your smart speaker. As a user of smart home devices, this is a welcome change. You can get one to do anything as long as you ask the “right way,” now, and I’ll admit sometimes that “right way” seems silly.
It supports virtual 360-degree audio. Cramming four or more speakers into a plastic box sounds like speakers crammed into a plastic box without proper audio processing. The right spatial audio support can make the Google Home Speaker sound a lot better, even if it doesn’t rival a true home audio setup. Here’s hoping it’s great.
It will pair with the Google TV Streamer. Just $300 ($100 for the TV Streamer and two Google Home Speakers at $100 each) will give you a ready-made home theater system, and that’s a big deal. Providing everything works as promised, the setup is easy and wireless, and the total cost will be less than the price of some single home theater speakers that require hard wiring. This genuinely has me excited since I’m not ever going to run wires or spend a bunch of money on the bedroom.
The cons
As mentioned, we don’t know a lot about the product and how it will fall short of expectations. I promise it will in at least a few ways, but we do have Google’s history in the smart home to consider.
Specifically, support. Google loves to improve its products, which often means things that still work great get left behind. The Chomecast Audio and older Nest Learning Thermostats are prime examples.
As someone who is affected by this far more often than I would like, I have to mention it. As of today, the only supported Google Home products (according to Google itself) are:
That’s a long list of products, but they all share one thing in common: they are relatively new (and possibly still a great buy right now with Gemini support rolling out). I have the original Google Home Mini here in a box in case I want to scavenge any parts from it, and I can tell you it worked as well on its last day as it did on its first. It was discontinued, then support was dropped simply to favor new products.
Google’s not alone here, and this is the nature of technology. While $100 isn’t a lot of money in 2025, it’s also not something you want to throw away when the next shiny thing comes along.
My verdict
So, should you think about getting one? Yes, if you’re entrenched in Google’s ecosystem or a smart home fan.
I like the price and the supposed features. There’s a lot of value there for anyone who wants Google Gemini in the room, “helping” during day-to-day life. The smart home factor alone makes it worth it for anyone whose disability means they need a helping hand from time to time.
I’m considering buying three myself. One on the table in the living room can do all those Gemini things, and I hate the audio on my bedroom television, but hate the idea of spending a lot of money or running wires. I’m currently using a Nest Hub with a bit of duct tape over the camera in the bedroom, so a setup with the Google Home Speakers can pull double duty.
I’m not telling you to buy a product I’ve never touched and that hasn’t been released yet. I am saying there’s a lot to think about here, especially when there are already several Google smart home speakers that you can buy right now.
FAQ
When will the Google Home Speaker be available?
The Google Home Speaker will be available in spring 2026, although Google has not specified when exactly it will hit stores. That said, we can assume Google may time the launch with its annual Google I/O developer conference.
Can you pair the Google Home Speaker with other devices?
Google has teased the ability to pair two Home Speakers and the Google TV Streamer, creating a home theater-like experience powered by Gemini.
Is Gemini available on current Google Nest hardware?
Google is making Gemini available on its current hardware, and as of writing, it is slowly rolling out to users as part of an early-access program. Eligible devices include the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen), Google Nest Audio, Google Nest Mini (2nd gen), and Google Nest Hub Max. Older devices will also support Gemini but not Geini Live.
