Best Google Home Speaker (2026)

The Nest Hub Max has two 10-watt tweeters and a 30-watt woofer for solid sound. I think the sound lacks bass, especially compared to the new smart speakers, but it’s good for casual listening. The 10-inch screen is the largest of its kind, and you can stream videos and make video calls with a 6.5-megapixel camera that has a wide field of view of 127 degrees. The Nest Hub Max also works with Google Gemini for Home and Gemini Live if you’ve signed up.

What is Google Gemini Home?

Google’s smart speakers have all been supported by Google Assistant until this year. Google Gemini for Home is Google’s version of an AI assistant (you’ve seen glimpses of Gemini-powered AI at the top of your Google search results) designed for its smart home devices. It has been released to almost all of its available devices for free (exception below).

Compared to Google Assistant, Gemini sounds more human in its voice and style (there are even several words to choose from) and provides detailed answers. Sometimes I get answers a little too long; asking if Vegemite goes bad got me a response with a paragraph about how the salt is shelf stable, so it doesn’t last as long as other foods but I still have to check for mold if moisture or other foods have gotten into the jar. But overall, the Gemini works well and manages devices around my house with ease.

The only downside is that even though it’s free, unlike Amazon’s current assistant Alexa +, some are behind a paywall. New Google Home Premium plan bundles smart home assistant subscriptions with storage plans for smart home video products, such as the Nest camera and doorbell. This means that the subscription will give you a very powerful assistant and store videos for one price if you also have any of the devices.

There’s a regular plan ($10/month or $100/year) that includes 30 days of event-based video history, smart facial recognition and identity packs, Gemini Live, and an AI-based tool to help you create smarter family routines. Then there is the advanced plan ($20/month or $200/year) which includes 60 days of event-related video history, 10 days of 24/7 video history, explanatory notes, searchable video history, video event descriptions, and a daily summary of recorded events. It also includes Gemini Live and a built-in AI tool that you get with the low-cost plan.

Gemini Live, however, works well enough, and answered a variety of issues from my three-year-old’s development to what happened the day before yesterday. Love Island part, but it’s not something I want to use for external testing. Maybe it’s one you want, but it’s up to you to decide.

Which Old Google Speakers Have Google Gemini?

Most of Google’s speakers are compatible with Gemini for Home, but not all of them have Gemini Live capabilities, even if you sign up. Here is a summary of the lucky winners:

• 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 Gen) (2021) – Gemini and Gemini Live
• Google Pixel Tablet (2023) and Speaker Base (2024) – None
• Google Home Speaker (2026) – Gemini and Gemini Live