The Google Home Speaker is finally available — and at $99, it’s been worth the wait. Sort of.
For basic tasks like setting calendar reminders and playing Spotify, it works well. Gemini handles voice commands naturally, and the sound quality is solid for the size. If that’s all you need from a smart speaker, you’ll probably be happy.
But there’s a lingering question about Google’s commitment to the smart home space. The company has a history of launching and then abandoning hardware products. The Pixel Nest speaker sat untouched for two years before getting replaced. Google’s smart home app has been “improving” since 2021 with little to show for it.
Still, the hardware itself is a good value. The real test will be whether Google actually supports it long-term — or if it becomes another entry in the graveyard of discontinued Google products.
In other tech news this week: Star Fox gets a faithful remake on Switch 2, Anthropic launches Claude Tag for workplace chat, Meta’s new AI glasses are cheaper but still come with the Meta ecosystem attached, and Deltarune Chapter 5 just dropped.
Also worth watching: a video essay on why live-service games keep failing, and Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender season two is back.
