Google Teases New Home Speaker Launch, Celebrates 3.5M Gemini Testers
Google is preparing to launch a new Home Speaker, with an announcement teased for next week and a retail leak pointing to a June 25 release. The company also thanked over 3.5 million users who tested its Gemini for Home early access program since last October, whose feedback led to significant platform improvements across 20 countries.
Key points
- Anish Kattukaran, Chief Product Officer for Google Home & Nest, thanked over 3.5 million early access testers for the Gemini for Home smart assistant integration.
- The Gemini for Home early access program, launched last October, has resulted in over 2,500 bug fixes and 50 major feature updates.
- Feedback from testers facilitated the expansion of Gemini for Home to 20 countries and 10 languages.
- Google is teasing an announcement "next week" for a new Google Home Speaker, first unveiled last fall.
- A retail listing from Best Buy Canada indicates a potential release date of June 25 for the forthcoming Google Home Speaker.
Google's smart home division is gearing up for a significant product launch while reflecting on recent progress. Anish Kattukaran, Chief Product Officer for Google Home & Nest, confirmed that over 3.5 million users participated in the early access program for Gemini for Home, which commenced last October. These testers provided crucial feedback directly to engineering teams.
This extensive user participation has led to substantial improvements, including more than 2,500 bug fixes and over 50 major feature updates to the Gemini for Home experience. Notable enhancements cited include "Continued Conversation" capabilities and upgraded media controls. The program's success has also enabled its expansion, now supporting users in 20 countries and 10 languages, demonstrating a broad international rollout based on real-world usage.
Concurrently, Google is strongly hinting at the imminent release of a new Google Home Speaker. An email from Kattukaran teased customers to "keep a very close eye on your inbox next week" for news regarding "a certain speaker." This device was initially announced last fall, with sales generally anticipated to begin this spring. Further reinforcing the expectation of an immediate launch, a retail listing from Best Buy Canada has surfaced, suggesting a potential release date of June 25 for the new speaker. This launch would mark a notable addition to Google's smart home hardware lineup, building on the legacy of the original Google Home device as it approaches its tenth anniversary.
Sources
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