Google Home Speaker & Display: Will I/O finally bring certainty?

The Google Home speaker has been listed in the US Google Store for quite some time.

Google and its hardware division – a combination that, particularly in the smart home sector, is struggling to gain momentum. Now, the next Google I/O is just around the corner, and speculation is rife regarding Google's expected moves.

Bernhard Rotter (translated by Bernhard Rotter), Published 05/18/2026 🇩🇪

Not even on the market yet and already facing criticism: this applies to quite a lot of products. With the Google Home Speaker, however, the frustration is not entirely incomprehensible. As early as August 2025, Notebookcheck reported on initial leaks regarding Google's new smart home products, followed by the official presentation by Google in September. What no one probably expected at the time: the Home Speaker wasn't slated to go on sale until "Spring 2026." Now, spring is drawing to a close, and with it, a long period of silence from Google regarding the new devices.

A few days ago, things finally started moving again in Google's smart home segment when another product appeared alongside the smart speaker in the code of the Google Home app. The "Google Home Display" could be a successor to the recently somewhat neglected Nest Hubs. Furthermore, there is speculation on Reddit that, unlike previous models, the device could also be wall-mountable - at the very least, Google has deviated from the traditional "Hub" naming convention.

Even though hardware traditionally plays a rather minor role at Google I/O (May 19–20), the timing of these developments strongly suggests at least a brief announcement. In all likelihood, everything there will revolve around artificial intelligence and Gemini, as the company is currently aligning all its product lines in this direction. The new smart speakers are also expected to be built on Gemini Live, which should enable significantly more natural conversations and more comprehensive assistance than the traditional Google Assistant. But who knows, maybe they will make us wait a few more months here as well, just to be on the safe side.

The anticipated "Google Home Display" could become a successor to the somewhat outdated "Nest Hub".

The Google Home Speaker will be available in different colors.

Embedded below, you will find the official product presentation video for the Google Home Speaker, published back on September 25, 2025. If you don't want to rely on Google keeping its promise of a Spring 2026 launch, you can alternatively opt for devices from Amazon's Echo lineup, for example. Not only has the equally AI-based Alexa+ been available for quite some time now, but the Echo Dot is also strikingly similar in appearance to Google's Home Speaker. It is available on Amazon, starting at around $50.