Google Seeks Hardware Partners for Gemini for Home Devices

Google is trying to get more hardware partners to develop and release devices with Gemini for Home. The company has announced that Gemini for Home is now a "full-stack AI" offering, combining Google Home APIs with Gemini's features. It's expanding the Google Home Gemini built-in program to give companies a way to "skip the multi-year research and development phase" typically needed for the development of AI-enabled hardware. Google is giving them access to fully validated scalable reference designs, including SOCs, sensors and mics, built by its partners. Companies can then use those designs to create, mass produce and release cameras and speakers with Gemini controls. The company is also encouraging carriers, ISPs and security firms that want to use its reference designs to integrate its Google Home Premium AI subscription service with the devices they make. Google says the subscription will allow its partners to offer users features like Home Brief, which summarizes home activity while they're away, and advanced deterrents, which create simulated presence in empty homes using automations. Google Home Premium used to be known as Nest Aware and will cost users at least $10 a month or $100 a year for the standard tier, or double that for the "advanced" option. If you're already subscribed to Google's $20 monthly AI Pro subscription, that comes with standard access included, while $250-per-month Ultra subscriptions get the advanced tier. Google has been rolling out Gemini to all its products for a while now and redesigned its Home app with a focus on the AI assistant before releasing it globally last year. The new app features an "Ask Home" button that users can tap to ask Gemini, but it will just prompt them to sign up for the AI experience if they prefer to use Google Assistant, the company's pre-AI-boom assistant offering.