Google’s Gemini-powered AI home speaker goes on sale June 25

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Alphabet Inc.’s Google said that its Google Home Speaker, a US$100 device integrated with Gemini AI, will be available June 25. Read here

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Alphabet Inc.’s Google said that its Google Home Speaker, a US$100 device that includes deep integration with the company’s Gemini artificial intelligence platform, will be available starting June 25.

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Preorders for the speaker begin Wednesday, Google said in a statement. The gadget was originally announced last fall alongside new Nest-branded smart cameras.

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The hardware launch continues the search giant’s quest to find new uses for its AI assistant throughout the home. Gemini has already rolled out to the company’s Google TV software, which runs on televisions from Sony, TCL, Hisense and other brands.

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Google isn’t the first to imbue consumer audio hardware with a more conversational AI assistant powered by large language models. Amazon.com Inc. introduced revamped Echo speakers and smart displays last year. And Apple Inc. is planning to release an updated HomePod mini as early as later this year with support for its Siri AI assistant, Bloomberg has reported.

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The Google Home Speaker, which produces audio that outputs in all directions, is designed to facilitate natural, free-flowing exchanges with the company’s Gemini for Home assistant. It can handle the basics like playing music, adding calendar appointments or setting reminders, and users can also brainstorm with the assistant, ask it for cooking recipes and hop between different topics. You can interrupt Gemini or ask follow-up questions at any time.

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Google has been testing Gemini for Home on existing devices through an early-access program since last October, with over 3.5 million homes having opted in. The company said it has made over 2,500 bug fixes and improvements in the months since, with many related to Gemini’s responsiveness, accuracy and ability to understand conversational context.

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The voice assistant has been trained to handle natural language prompts — even those that involve corrections like “Hey Google, turn off the coffee maker, I meant turn it on” — and multistep requests such as “dim the kitchen lights, play relaxing music and set a 20-minute timer.”

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The Google Home Speaker is the company’s first product to ship with the new experience onboard out of the box. A ring light at its base glows when Gemini is listening, thinking or responding. Two units can be paired together with a Google TV Streamer to deliver spatial audio surround sound when watching movies and TV.

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Notably, this feature doesn’t seamlessly work with televisions that have Google TV software built in, so you’ll need to plug in the streaming stick, which feels redundant when the two share the same operating system.

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Nest camera owners can ask the speaker for summaries about what’s been going on at home while they were out or make live requests like checking whether there’s a car in the driveway. Since the speaker supports Google Cast, the company’s wireless streaming technology,  it can be grouped with devices from other manufacturers as part of a whole-home audio system.

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Customers who buy the new device will receive a free six-month Google Home Premium subscription, which is usually US$10 per month. The paid plan is required to unlock the full Gemini for Home experience and features like Gemini Live. Nonsubscribers can access “a more basic version of Gemini for help with tasks, quick answers, and smart home control,” according to the company.

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Bloomberg.com

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