The Google Home Speaker sounds good and looks great — but it’s finicky
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<img alt="A photo of a round, red smart speaker on a table." src="https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/Google-Home-Speaker.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100" loading="lazy" />
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The Speaker comes in four colors… but red is the way. | Photo: David Pierce / The Verge </figcaption>
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<p>Right out of the box, the <a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/788085/hands-on-google-home-speaker" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">new Google Home Speaker</a> passed a couple of important tests. Even with the volume at 100 percent and music blaring out of the speaker, it quickly ducked the audio and listened every time I said "Hey, Google." In fact, in two days of testing, the speaker's three microphones haven't missed a single wake word - except for the time I stage-whispered to it from the other room while trying to avoid waking up the baby, but I'm not sure that's a fair test. I set up the speaker in the bathroom and chatted with it from the shower; Siri hardly ever hears me over the running water, but Google did pretty well.</p>
<p>These are the sort …</p>
<p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/955537/google-home-smart-speaker-hands-on" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read the full story at The Verge.</a></p>
