Skip to main content

What is this? Say hello to the new Google Nest speaker

Just like that, Google teases us with the first image of its next Nest speaker. After images surfaced of the purported smart speaker on Thursday, it is now being shown in full glory courtesy of Google’s PR team, who shared it with us. You could say that we’re nearing an inevitable announcement, but the image does indicate that it’s going to be a sporting a dramatic redesign over the original Google Home from 2016. What do you think?

Recommended Videos

Looking closely at the picture, we can see that it’s going to be an upright, oblong-shaped speaker with the same four LEDs embedded on the front. If the dimensions match what was shown in the filings, it’s going to be one of the beefier-sized speakers in Google’s lineup. It is substantially taller than the original Google Home, but it’s not as hulking in size as the Google Home Max.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

In addition to the image sent to us, we also received a quick-cut video of the Google Nest speaker in action. From what we can tell, it will at least come in two different colors — the grey mesh fabric shown in the image, as well as a coral color in the video.

The ending of the video is particularly important, because the little girl comes into the room asking what it is while holding it in her hand. That’s a valid question, because it could mean that the new Google Nest speaker may be battery powered. It’s plausible because, in the video, you really can’t see any of the cords connected to the speaker in any of the scenes, other than the image we were given. If that turns out to be true, it will be the first in Google’s lineup to be truly portable.

Beyond that, we’re itching to see what other features it will offer. Based on its size, you can certainly bet that audio will be focus. It’s only a matter of time now before we hear more about it, especially as we head into the busy fall months and when the company is expected to announce its next Pixel smartphones.

John Velasco
John is the Smart Home editor at Digital Trends covering all of the latest tech in this emerging market. From uncovering some…
No more speaker cables? New tech uses your home’s power lines to transmit audio
A set of Fasetto Audio Cu devices.

Imagine being able to place your existing wired speakers anywhere you have a power outlet, instead of running speaker cable through walls, or under carpets. That's the promise of Audio Cu, a technology developed by Scottsdale, Arizona-based Fasetto.

Audio Cu uses your home's existing power lines to transmit up to 10 channels of lossless, hi-res audio at up to 24-bit/192 kHz from a single transmitter to multiple receivers. Fasetto recently received Dolby Atmos certification for Audio Cu from Dolby Labs and the company claims it is the first audio-over-power-line manufacturer to do so.

Read more
KEF’s affordable new Q Series speakers get an audiophile upgrade
The KEF Q Series Meta speakers.

U.K. speaker maker KEF has given its popular Q Series lineup of speakers its first upgrade in seven years, bringing the company's audiophile Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT) and other fine-tunings to the speaker range that spans an affordable $600 to $2,200.

The new KEF Q Series with MAT family is an eight-speaker collection that can be used in a simple stereo setup suitable for music (and/or vinyl record) lovers or built out into a multi-channel home theater configuration complete with up-firing height speakers for the immersive, Dolby Atmos surround sound enthusiast.

Read more
Google Home panel, AI art are coming to all Google TV devices
The Home Panel on Google TV Streamer.

Good news, everyone. If you read our Google TV Streamer review and looked longingly at the new smart home panel — also called the Google Home panel — or the new AI-generated ambient art, they're on the way to other Google TV devices. That pretty much was a given, because there's no way Google would have kept it solely for its latest streaming hardware. But it's always nice to have confirmation.

Here's the deal: If a smart device is supported in Google Home, you should be able to access it through the Google Home panel in Google TV. Here at my house, I have a smattering of Nest cameras, a Nest doorbell, and a whole bunch of Philips Hue and Govee lights. And they all appear in the Google Home Panel, with favorites getting priority.

Read more