Nest Audio Gives Google Home A Musical Upgrade

While the incoming Pixel devices might be the main draw of Google's reveal event, the company had a number of new products to reveal before the phones. That slate of new products includes the Nest Audio, a new smart home speaker that apparently serves as a replacement to the original Google Home. The new smart speaker can be used in tandem with Nest Mini and the Nest Hub Max to create a "whole-home audio experience."

Just like with the Google Home, Nest Audio supports Google Assistant, allowing you to set up zones and groups for your speakers so you can tell the Assistant to play music in just one location or throughout the entire house. Google says that it spoke to engineers, sound specialists, and musicians to construct the Nest Audio, which led to some improvements over the original Google Home.

Specifically, Google said that the Nest Audio offers "50% more bass, 75% more volume" than Google Home did. The speaker uses a 19mm tweeter for "consistent, high-frequency coverage and clear vocals." Bass is handled by a 75mm mid-woofer, with Google promising a listening experience that's all around fuller and clearer than what we got with the speakers that preceded it.

The design of the speaker is pretty straightforward, as it's covered from top to bottom in fabric. It'll be available in five colors: Sage, Sand, Sky, Chalk, and Charcoal, so buyers have more color options than they do with the Nest Mini.

The speaker will be out on October 5th in 21 countries (which Google didn't name specifically during its presentation) for $99.99. That price point could be a huge deal for those who are trying to pick between smart home speakers, as the Nest Audio is priced well below some of its competitors. Keep it here at SlashGear for more from Google's ongoing Pixel reveal event.