Google teases its new Gemini-powered Google Home speaker, coming in spring 2026 (techcrunch.com)

Google previewed a new Gemini-powered Google Home speaker that will ship in spring 2026 for $99 in a wide range of markets. The cylindrical device comes in four colors, uses 3D‑knitted fabric to cut fabric waste, and supports 360° audio, speaker groups, and a new pairing option that lets two Home speakers work with a Google TV Streamer for surround‑style sound. Visually it adds a light ring to show Gemini states (listening, thinking, responding), and Gemini Live features will be gated behind a Google Home Premium subscription. Technically the key distinction is that the speaker is “built for Gemini”: it includes a processor capable of running Gemini‑class workloads to handle on‑device tasks such as background noise suppression, reverb and echo cancellation, aiming to keep conversations coherent when multiple people speak. Google says the later 2026 launch is deliberate — it will first roll Gemini to existing Home devices in Early Access so users can test, report bugs and avoid forcing upgrades. For the AI/ML community this signals continued investment in edge‑capable consumer hardware, tighter cloud/edge integration for multimodal assistants, and product strategies that balance feature rollout, user feedback and subscription monetization.