Google Wifi Price Cut For Entry-Level Mesh Networking

Google has quietly cut the price of its older mesh network equipment, with Google Wifi demonstrating it can live on alongside Nest Wifi. Launched in 2016, Google Wifi was the company's first mesh networking system, promising to blanket your house with multiple beacons rather than relying on a single, high-power router.

It met with generally positive reviews, not least because of its ease of setup and Google's focus on security. Where more traditional routers often still required manual firmware updates – something arguably few owners would think to install – Google Wifi would automatically load the latest version, keeping the system patched in the background.

Google subsequently launched Nest Wifi in late 2019, though it wasn't a clean sweep. While the addition of smart speaker functionality was useful in some cases, the absence of WiFi 6 was a head-scratcher while the switch to two different types of beacon made it more confusing. Nest Wifi also lacked ethernet on its beacons, unlike the ports available on Google Wifi.

Now, The Verge spotted, Google is trimming the price of Google Wifi. A single unit is $99.99, down from $129.99, while a three-pack of units is $199.99, a $100 saving from the original price. Nest Wifi is currently $169 for the router, and $149 for a Point.

The change in price isn't the only alteration, apparently. Google has switched from USB-C to a 15W barrel plug, as it uses on other smart home devices like the recently-released Nest Audio. There's a new top logo, on a casing that now is made from partially-recycled plastic.

Although throughput speeds are likely to be a little faster with a Nest Wifi, those who need ethernet ports may still find the Google Wifi to be preferable. Since the two systems are compatible, meanwhile, you could even add a Google Wifi unit to an existing Nest Wifi setup, too.