Best speaker for Google Home (2026)

The Nest Hub Max has two 10-watt speakers and a 30-watt subwoofer for powerful sound. I think the sound lacks some bass, especially compared to newer smart speakers, but it’s fine for casual listening. The 10-inch screen is a great size for following a recipe, and you can stream video content and make video calls using the 6.5-megapixel camera, which has a wide 127-degree field of view. The Nest Hub Max is also compatible with both Google Gemini for Home and with Gemini Live if you have a subscription.

What is Google Gemini for Home?

All of Google’s smart speakers were powered by Google Assistant until this year. Google Gemini for Home is a version of Google Assistant AI (you’ve seen summaries of Gemini-powered AI at the top of Google search results) that’s designed for smart home devices. It has been released on almost all of its current devices for free (with the exceptions below).

Compared to Google Assistant, Gemini seems more human in its approach to dictation and speaking (there are also multiple voices to choose from) and provides more detailed answers. Sometimes I found the answers a bit long; Asking if Vegemite was bad led to a response with a paragraph about how the salty product is shelf stable, so it doesn’t really expire the way other foods can, but I still have to look for mold if moisture or other nutrients get into the jar. But overall, the Gemini works well and controls the devices in my home with ease.

The only downside is that while it’s free, unlike Amazon’s newer Alexa+ assistant, some features are behind a paywall. New Google Home Premium The plan bundles smart home assistant subscriptions with storage plans for smart home video products, like the Nest camera and doorbell. This means a subscription can get you a more powerful assistant and video storage for one price if you also own any of these devices.

There’s the Standard plan ($10 per month or $100 per year) that includes 30 days of event-based video history, smart alerts for familiar faces and packages, Gemini Live, and an AI-based tool to help you create smart routines for your household. Then there’s the Advanced plan ($20 per month or $200 per year) that includes 60 days of event-based video history, 10 days of 24/7 video history, descriptive notifications, searchable video history, video event descriptions, and daily summaries of recorded events. It also includes Gemini Live and the AI ​​routine builder that you get with the cheaper plan.

As for Gemini Live, it works well enough, covering various conversation topics from my 3-year-old’s development to what happened the day before Love Island loop, but it’s not a feature I had any desire to use for external testing. Maybe it’s what you want, but it’s up to you to decide.

Which older Google speakers have Google Gemini?

Most Google speakers are compatible with Gemini for Home, but not all of them have Gemini Live capability, even if you have a subscription. Here are details of who can access:

• Google Home (2016) – Gemini
• Google Home Mini (2017) – Gemini
• Google Home Max (2017) – Gemini
• Google Nest Mini (2019) – Gemini
• Google Nest Audio (2019) – Gemini and Gemini Live
• Google Nest Hub (2018) – Gemini and Gemini Live
• Google Nest Hub Max (2019) – Gemini and Gemini Live
• Google Nest Hub (2nd Generation) (2021) – Gemini and Gemini Live
• Google Pixel Tablet (2023) and speaker dock (2024) – Nothing
• Google Home Speaker (2026) – Gemini and Gemini Live