Google began replacing Assistant with Gemini on Android phones in September 2026 via mandatory updates. Nest speakers and displays are exempt — here’s what’s changing, what isn’t, and what it means for your smart home.
Gemini for Home brings Google’s conversational AI to every Nest speaker and display made since 2016 — free via early access. Here’s how to enroll, what’s included, and why you can’t switch back.
Google has discontinued the Nest Mini and Nest Audio in 2026, consolidating around the new $99.99 Gemini-powered Google Home Speaker. Existing owners can still upgrade to Gemini for Home — here’s what changes.
Google Home Premium starts at $10/month and unlocks Gemini Live, the AI-powered Home Brief, and video history on the new $99.99 Google Home Speaker. Here’s what’s worth paying for — and the real first-year cost.
Google’s first Gemini-native smart speaker launched June 25, 2026 at $99.99 with 360-degree audio, a Matter/Thread hub, and four colors — but the best Gemini features require a $10/month Home Premium subscription.
Alexa+ has launched in India with free Early Access on Echo, Fire TV, and the Alexa app — featuring Hindi and Hinglish support, 70+ AI models via Bedrock, and local integrations like Swiggy and MakeMyTrip.
Amazon made Alexa+ free on Fire TV starting August 19, 2026 — no Prime needed. Eligible Stick, Cube, Ember TV, Hisense and Panasonic owners get conversational search and smart home control automatically.
Alexa+ is now broadly available in the US: Prime members get unlimited access free, others pay $19.99/month. Here’s what Amazon’s generative-AI assistant does and why it matters for your smart home.
The redesigned Amazon Echo Studio is 40% smaller with Dolby Atmos spatial audio, a high-excursion woofer, the AZ3 Pro chip, and Alexa Home Theater support — priced at $219.99.
Amazon’s Echo Dot Max brings a two-way speaker with nearly 3x the bass of the Echo Dot 5th Gen, the AZ3 chip, Omnisense room sensing, and a built-in Matter/Zigbee/Thread smart home hub — all for $99.99.