48 Hours with the Smart Speaker: My Imperfect but Addictive AI Companion

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Google’s Google Home Speaker is the tech giant’s latest release for smart home audio and marks their first new speaker in six years. After spending roughly two days testing this device, I’ve gathered some initial observations.

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Boasting omnidirectional sound, this new model delivers an alternative hearable profile contrasted with the Nest Audio or Nest Mini, each of which push audio primarily forward. But, shifting to this novel sensation doesn’t automatically guarantee it’ll be superior.

A Fresh Audio Profile

With this release, Google dropped the Nest branding for their smart speakers and engineered a different acoustic layout for this latest hardware. While a number of buyers are enthusiastic regarding the new offering, a differing group worries the internal components may not make the cost of upgrading worthwhile.

Despite Google’s claims that bass output is 2.5 times stronger than the Nest Mini, the device relies on a solitary 58mm driver unit. The $120 Google Nest Audio, which launched in 2020, packs superior internals, including a 75mm mid-woofer and a 19mm tweeter. Given that the new Google Home Speaker shares an identical $100 bracket with the Nest Audio, I find the skepticism understandable.

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On the other hand, raw specifications only reveal part of the picture. Within my preliminary evaluations, the Google Home Speaker produces a rich, undistorted audio comparable to what you’d get from an Apple HomePod mini, which similarly employs a two-inch full-range driver. It unequivocally steps up from the sound offered by the Nest Mini or the previous generation Echo Dot.

Unexpectedly Simple Interface

Setting it apart from the main rivals, the device lacks a physical dashboard on its surface: you won’t find any buttons or a touchscreen for adjusting volume or skipping tracks. I initially assumed lacking these controls would make the speaker awkward to handle without resorting to voice commands or the companion app, but I was completely mistaken.

Google’s system is refreshingly straightforward: Press the top surface to toggle play or slide the light indicators located on each side to raise or lower the audio level. These LEDs light up instantly when touched, which means you won’t be fumbling around in the dark just to find the controls.

Gemini’s Latest Evolution versus. Google Assistant

Google has been rolling out an upgraded iteration of their “Gemini for Home” platform for some time, and this speaker serves as a clear demonstration of those efforts. Evaluated against Alexa+, its main rival, Gemini on this device feels far less jarring from the start. Having used Alexa+ for an extended period, I still find its overly enthusiastic, cheerful delivery a bit much.

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Just like its presence across Google Home software and Android handsets, the assistant on this speaker delivers normal dialog without crossing into artificial cheerfulness, yet it still has a few lingering quirks. Most leading AI firms have phased out canned responses starting with disclaimer phrases, though Gemini hasn’t fully.

This doesn’t render the assistant out of date or show it’s dropping behind; it’s merely an observation worth noting.

Inside the device, the assistant works just as smoothly as on other gadgets. It reacts promptly without seeming eager, its replies are detailed and largely exact (the standard for any generative AI tool), and it reliably produces requested content. Overall, talking to this speaker feels more native and intuitive than interacting with any other connected device I own.

These capabilities leave Siri’s functionality found on the original HomePod and mini in the dust, which still lack generative AI capabilities. Combine that with the gratingly saccharine personality of Alexa+, and Gemini for Home has quickly become my top choice for a digital helper over the last few days.

The Main Disappointment: Audio Pickup System

Long-range microphone setups are a common pain point for smart speakers because they have to juggle picking up your voice while audio is blasting. Every manufacturer dreams of delivering the richest, loudest audio and a clever AI assistant at a rock-bottom cost, and achieving that’s tricky.

To pull this off, speakers need highly sensitive microphones capable of snatching your words even when the music is deafening. The Google Home Speaker is built with three far-field microphones paired with an onboard neural processing unit capable of isolating specific noise. Sadly, I ran into real trouble getting the speaker to recognize me while music was playing—even at a lower volume of roughly 66%

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Consequently, I need to physically walk over to the unit and pause the track with a tap on top, which isn’t the biggest hassle, though it defeats the core concept of owning a hands-free gadget.

The Verdict and Buying Thoughts

When lined up against similar products, the Google Home Speaker holds its own, easily outperforming the latest (fourth-gen) Amazon Echo Dot and, in certain areas, even beating the brand-new Echo Dot Max.

Compared to the Apple HomePod Mini, Google’s newest speaker doesn’t quite sound as rich and can’t match Apple’s mic engineering or fidelity. Even so, the Google model brings Gemini—a fully generative AI assistant—while Apple’s current mini still relies on the outdated Siri platform. That feature alone might push many buyers to choose the Google option.