STACK #261 July 2026

TECH FEATURE

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Google Home Speaker: 360-degree sound meets a smarter home

Designed for modern homes

Made using recycled materials and wrapped in a stylish knitted fabric finish, the Home Speaker is designed to blend naturally into modern living spaces. Its base glows to show when it’s listening or speaking, and there's a dedicated microphone mute switch for extra privacy.

The new Google Home Speaker combines room filling sound with smarter voice assistance and effortless home automation. It’s designed to become the helpful hub of a connected home. Words Bec Summer

One request, multiple actions

Fancy a cosy evening at home? Just ask Google Home to dim compatible lights, start a playlist, and trigger other connected smart home devices with a single request.

Room-filling sound, wherever you place it

A more helpful voice assistant The Home Speaker introduces Gemini as your voice assistant, helping with everyday

Designed with 360-degree sound, the Google Home Speaker delivers balanced audio in every direction, so everyone in the room can enjoy the same listening experience. Whether you’re streaming a playlist during a weekend barbecue, catching up on podcasts while cleaning, or adding background music when entertaining, the Home Speaker is tuned to keep music and voices sounding clear and natural. It can even adjust to background noise levels automatically, helping ensure you don’t miss a beat.

tasks in a more natural way. Rather than remembering specific commands, you can

The heart of the smart home

simply ask questions as you normally would. Need help finding a song, setting reminders, organising your calendar, or getting quick answers? Just ask. Gemini is designed to understand more natural requests, making everyday interactions feel more conversational. Moreover, a Google Home Premium subscription* can unlock more advanced Gemini Live capabilities.

If you already use smart lights, cameras, or other connected devices, the Google Home Speaker can bring them together in one place. Compatible devices can be controlled using simple voice commands, while automations allow multiple actions to happen at once. Instead of turning devices on individually, you can create and set routines that help your smart home respond to your needs more intelligently. Entertainment beyond music The Google Home Speaker is designed to work seamlessly with the rest of your entertainment setup. Ask for songs, playlists, and podcasts, create speaker groups throughout the home, or pair two Google Home Speakers with a Google TV Streamer for more immersive home theatre sound. Parental controls, broadcast messaging, and privacy features make it a practical addition for families.

360° sound explained Unlike traditional speakers that sound best when you’re directly in front of them, the Google Home Speaker spreads audio evenly throughout a room. That means clear, balanced sound whether you’re cooking in the kitchen, relaxing on the couch, or hosting a house party.

66 JULY 2026

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*Requires Google Home Premium subscription (sold separately).