Google Replaces Assistant with Gemini for Home AI and Unveils New Speakers & Nest Cams

Google has formally replaced Google Assistant with Gemini for Home, unveiling a redesigned Google Home app alongside a new generation of smart speakers and an upgraded Nest camera and doorbell lineup. Gemini for Home enables contextual understanding, with examples such as inferring intent to watch a movie and dim lights, while also supporting chained requests and natural-language routines.

Features like Gemini Live enable ongoing conversations without the “Hey Google” wake phrase, and camera devices gain semantic analysis for real-time interpretation; Home Brief can condense hours of footage into highlights, and Ask Home answers contextual questions.

The Google Home app redesign introduces three sections—Home, Activity, and Automation—with a permanent Ask Home AI entry point, promising faster load times, quicker camera streams, and lower playback failures, along with reduced crash rates and improved Android power efficiency.

Hardware updates include a new Google Home speaker due in Spring 2026 at a suggested price of $99, plus four finishes and a mic mute switch, and upgraded Nest Cam Indoor ($100), Nest Cam Outdoor ($150), and Nest Doorbell ($180) with 2K HDR, wider fields of view and better low-light performance. All features are bundled with a Google Home Premium subscription at $10 per month, which includes 30 days of cloud storage and integration with existing Google AI Pro and Ultra tiers.