Six years. That's how long Google made us wait for a new Home speaker. Six years of AirPods generations, three iPhone redesigns, and enough Ring doorbell iterations to fill a small museum. And now, finally, Google strolls back into the smart speaker game like nothing happened - and somehow, annoyingly, it's still the best one out there.
Back on top (obviously)
According to a review by Wired, Google's first new smart speaker in half a decade reclaims its position at the front of the pack. Which, honestly, tracks. When Google actually tries, it tends to win. The hardware sounds great, the smart home integration is as slick as you'd expect, and the whole thing feels like a proper grown-up product rather than something rushed out to compete with an Amazon sale event.
If you've been limping along with an aging Echo Dot or a dusty Sonos you swore you'd replace, this is the upgrade your living room has been silently judging you for not making.
There's always a catch
Here's where it gets spicy. Google, in its infinite wisdom and shareholder-pleasing glory, has decided that some of the juiciest features on this shiny new speaker are locked behind a paywall. That's right - you buy the hardware, and then you subscribe to actually use it properly. Welcome to 2026, where even your speaker has a business model.
It's not exactly surprising. The whole tech industry has been slowly turning every device into a recurring revenue stream since approximately forever. But there's something particularly cheeky about launching your comeback product with a "and there's more, for a fee" energy.
Should you buy it anyway?
Almost certainly yes, if you're already living in the Google ecosystem. The free features alone reportedly put it ahead of most competitors, and if you're the type of person who already pays for YouTube Premium and Google One, what's one more line on the credit card statement, really?
For everyone else - the Amazon loyalists, the Apple HomePod devotees, the people who still use Bluetooth speakers like it's 2015 - this probably won't convert you. But it will make you slightly jealous at dinner parties.
Google Home is back, it's leading the pack, and it wants a monthly subscription. Honestly, respect the hustle.
