Google Home Speaker Review: Great Hardware, Underwhelming AI

Google's new Home Speaker is a delightful device with good sound and a modern design, but its Gemini for Home AI faces challenges in speed, reliability, and paywalled features, making it less competitive than Amazon's Alexa Plus in smart home control.

The speaker's hardware is its strongest aspect, fitting seamlessly into various settings with its compact size and appealing colors. However, Gemini for Home's slow response, inconsistent performance, and limited free features hinder the overall experience. While it excels in conversational understanding and general knowledge, its inability to reliably execute smart home commands and occasional inaccuracies undermine its utility.

Compared to competitors like the Echo Dot Max, the Home Speaker's audio quality is close but not superior, lacking in bass. Its integration with the Google TV Streamer for spatial audio is a plus but has limitations.

Google's move to put some features behind a paywall, such as Gemini Live for continuous conversations, may deter some users. Despite this, the Home Speaker is a crucial step for Google's smart home ecosystem, offering a solid foundation that awaits more refined AI capabilities.