4 things I want from Google’s next smart speaker

At the Pixel 10 event in August, Google briefly teased an unannounced smart speaker. In a pre-recorded segment, the device answered questions from Formula 1 driver Lando Norris, apparently using Gemini.

Google hasn’t formally acknowledged the speaker, let alone announced it. But we’ve been waiting almost five years for a new speaker from Google, and expectations are high for whatever this thing is.

Here’s what we’re hoping for in Google’s upcoming smart speaker.

1

Decent audio quality

Judging from the brief glimpse we caught of this new speaker in Google’s presentation, it looks a little bigger than a softball, about in line with the Amazon Echo Dot.

Bigger speakers can move more air, which means more volume and often better sound overall, so I’m hoping this compact form factor doesn’t mean lesser audio quality compared to the existing Nest Audio.

If this new speaker is indeed on the small side, ideally, we end up with multiple versions in different sizes. I’m not expecting a Google Home Max replacement, but I can dream.

2

Wired output (and input)

Some smart speakers, like the fourth-generation Amazon Echo and the defunct Google Home Max, come with 3.5-millimeter auxiliary ports that can allow for wired audio.

It’d be great to see this feature in Google’s forthcoming speaker. Wired output could let the new speaker function as a kind of Chromecast Audio replacement, routing streaming sound through external speakers.

Wired input, meanwhile, could allow the new speaker to play audio from external sources like a turntable. That might be less appealing in such a small speaker, but the option certainly wouldn’t be a bad thing.

3

Ultra-wideband support

Apple’s HomePod and the Google Pixel Tablet feature ultra-wideband (UWB) connectivity that lets them detect the proximity of compatible devices.

In practice, this lets you transfer a music stream from your phone to your speaker by bringing the two near each other and tapping a confirmation. It can also be used for presence detection.

Given that the Pixel Tablet already has this functionality baked in, it’s not unreasonable to expect that Google’s future smart speakers will, as well. UWB is hardly a top priority for me, but it would be a pretty neat inclusion.

4

Google TV integration

Smart speakers from Amazon and Apple can pair with their respective manufacturer’s video streaming devices, letting users easily route audio from streaming video through their Echo or HomePod devices.

Despite Google TV’s popularity, Nest speakers don’t currently support this type of integration. Your only choice to play sound from a Google TV Streamer through a Nest Audio speaker is to connect the two with Bluetooth.

According to reporting from Android Headlines, the forthcoming speaker will support more fulsome Google TV integration, which “would bring spatial surround-sound to your living room.” Here’s hoping.

It’s anybody’s guess when we’ll hear more

Google teased this new speaker at a Pixel event in August, but the company didn’t actually reveal anything about it. It only made a brief cameo. If the company intends to announce the speaker ahead of I/O ’26 next spring, it may be at its own event.

However it happens, I hope it’s soon; we’ve been waiting a long time for this one.