According to Google, Gemini for Home is the next step in the smart home. The new assistant is intended to replace the current Google Assistant on Nest speakers and displays in the long term, and process more complex, nuanced voice commands.

Details and features

Technically, as Google itself explains, Gemini for Home is based on the most powerful Gemini models. The new assistant expands the existing functionality with “advanced reasoning, inference and search capabilities”. This will allow queries to be answered across multiple services or multiple commands to be executed in a single utterance. For example: “Dim the lights and set the temp to 72 degrees.” The new conversation feature, Gemini Live, will allow for more natural conversation after the initial command “Hey Google, let’s chat”, without having to constantly repeat the hotword.

Context, comparison and significance

According to The Verge, the market launch of Gemini for Home comes at a time when providers such as Amazon already offer a similarly intelligent assistant in Alexa Plus. Google is thus addressing an existing gap in its smart home portfolio and simultaneously signaling that the company intends to evolve the assistant’s role from a reactive tool to a proactive everyday helper. The Verge rates Gemini for Home as one of the most significant changes for Google Home in years.

Open questions and challenges

Pricing and availability of individual premium features remain unclear. Google mentions free and paid tiers, but is yet to provide details. Seamless integration with critical devices (such as locks or heating systems) also requires a heightened level of security and data protection. This suggests that staggered rollouts and careful testing processes will be likely.

Outlook

With a staggered release starting in October 2025 and possible new Nest hardware in the fall, Google is preparing for a future in which voice assistance will be more integrated into everyday activities, according to The Verge. As the use of AI voice assistants becomes more and more nuanced, it will be important for users to carefully research features, data protection requirements and subscription prices in order to select one that best meets their needs.

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Translator: Jacob Fisher – Translator – 2105 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2022

Growing up in regional Australia, I first became acquainted with computers in my early teens after a broken leg from a football (soccer) match temporarily condemned me to a predominately indoor lifestyle. Soon afterwards I was building my own systems. Now I live in Germany, having moved here in 2014, where I study philosophy and anthropology. I am particularly fascinated by how computer technology has fundamentally and dramatically reshaped human culture, and how it continues to do so.