Google · Reviewed by C. Scott Brown · Published 2026-06-24
Based on a review by C. Scott Brown (accessed 2026-06-24).
Based on this review alone: skip it — permanent 1.5m usb-c power cable is inconvenient for cable management and temporary moves, unless significantly better sound quality than nest mini is your only priority.
The reviewer concluded that individuals already owning a Nest Audio have no compelling reason to purchase the new Google Home speaker, as the Nest Audio largely matches its features and even surpasses it in Gemini response speed. For new buyers or Nest Mini owners, the reviewer suggests that opting for a used Nest Audio might offer better value, unless the Home speaker's specific unique features like Google TV pairing or Thread support are a priority.
This review offers an in-depth comparison of the new Google Home Speaker against the older Nest Audio and Nest Mini, focusing on design, physical features, sound quality, and smart assistant response times. It also highlights unique functionalities of the Home speaker, such as Google TV streamer pairing and Thread support, to assess its overall value and determine target buyers.
The Google Home speaker disappoints for existing Google smart home users, as it offers little advancement over older models. While its sound quality is a clear upgrade from the Nest Mini, testing showed it performs worse than the six-year-old Nest Audio in both audio fidelity and Gemini response times. If you are a new smart speaker buyer who needs Thread support or wireless pairing with a Google TV streamer, this speaker is a consideration. However, if you already own a Nest Audio or prioritize value, a used Nest Audio is a superior choice.
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The reviewer states his house is "absolutely bursting with Google smart home stuff," listing multiple Nest Audio speakers, a Nest Mini, Nest Hub Max, Pixel Tablet, Nest cameras, Nest doorbell, and Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro.
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The Home speaker is available in porcelain and hazel worldwide, with additional jade and berry options exclusively in the United States, which the reviewer finds disappointing for international users.
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The Home speaker comes with a 1.5m cable permanently attached to it, which the reviewer finds annoying for cable management compared to the Nest Audio/Mini where the cable can be unplugged.
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The speaker features an obvious mic switch that allows users to turn off the microphone at any time, and capacitive controls on the top for volume adjustment and music playback (tap left for volume down, right for volume up, middle for play/pause).
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Setting up the speaker is described as very simple, handled entirely within the Google Home app, allowing users to be up and running in a matter of minutes.
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The speaker uses a ring light on the bottom: rainbow to white indicates listening, flashing Gemini colors indicates thinking/answering, and permanent orange indicates the mic is off (customizable in settings).
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The Home speaker's fabric covering is "very stretchy" and easily movable, unlike the Nest Audio's fabric, suggesting it might not be as durable over time.
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The Nest Audio is "significantly bigger and heavier" than the Home speaker, with the Home speaker being closer in size and weight to the Nest Mini.
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A demo compares the sound quality of the Home speaker and Nest Audio at 50% volume. The reviewer states the Home speaker is not quite as good as the Nest Audio, but "pretty close," especially considering its smaller size.
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A demo compares the sound quality of the Home speaker and Nest Mini. The reviewer states the Home speaker is "much better" than the Nest Mini.
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The reviewer asked the Home speaker 'When was the film Blade Runner released?' followed by the Nest Audio. The Nest Audio answered faster by about 1 second.
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To counteract potential bias, the reviewer asked the Nest Audio 'When was the film La Femme Nikita released?' first, then the Home speaker. The Nest Audio was again faster.
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The Home speaker can wirelessly pair with one or two Google TV streamers, offering spatial audio support with two speakers for an immersive sound experience. This feature is exclusive to the Home speaker.
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The Home speaker includes Thread support, which is noted as a significant feature for users deeply involved in smart home technology.
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The reviewer states that all features of the Google Home Premium subscription (Gemini Live, home activity summaries) also work on the Nest Audio, meaning Home speaker owners get no extra subscription benefits.
The reviewer performed audio tests and concluded that the Google Home speaker offers a significant improvement in sound quality over the smaller Nest Mini. However, when directly compared to the Nest Audio, the Home speaker was found to be not quite as good, though the difference was minimal, especially considering its smaller size.
The reviewer conducted multiple tests asking both speakers the same questions. In both trials, the 6-year-old Nest Audio answered approximately 1 second faster than the new Google Home speaker, indicating no performance improvement in Gemini response speed.
The Google Home speaker has two distinct advantages over the Nest Audio: the ability to wirelessly pair one or two speakers with a Google TV streamer for spatial audio, enhancing the TV watching experience, and integrated Thread support for advanced smart home networking.
For most Nest Audio owners, an upgrade is not recommended because the Nest Audio already performs nearly all core functions of the Home speaker and even outperforms it in Gemini response speed. The only potential reasons to upgrade would be for Google TV streamer pairing or if a smaller, lighter form factor is a critical preference.
If improved sound quality is a priority, the Home speaker is a clear upgrade from the Nest Mini. However, if a user primarily uses their Nest Mini for basic Gemini questions and commands, the Google Home speaker offers no functional advantage in that respect.
For new buyers, while they would likely be happy with the Google Home speaker, the reviewer suggests purchasing a used Nest Audio instead. The Nest Audio offers almost all the same functionality at a potentially lower price, with the Home speaker's only significant advantages being Google TV streamer pairing and Thread support.
100/100 source quality
The $99 Google Home Speaker, Google's first new smart speaker in six years, is reviewed against the Nest Audio and Nest Mini. While it's smaller and lighter, its core smart speaker functionality and sound quality are comparable to the Nest Audio, though Gemini response times were slower in tests. Key differentiators for the Home speaker are wireless pairing with Google TV streamers for spatial audio and Thread support. The reviewer ultimately recommends existing Nest Audio owners to skip the upgrade and new buyers to consider a more cost-effective, pre-owned Nest Audio.
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