Google has hit the ground running with some AI-powered plans for its smart home ecosystem recently. The company rolled out a new interface for Google Home, started early access to Gemini for Home, and announced a slew of new Gemini-enabled products. Among them are the new Nest Cams and Nest Doorbell, all of which will be equipped with the AI model for a more in-depth, comprehensive smart home experience.
However, Google noticeably didn’t announce any battery-powered Nest Cams or Nest Doorbells, and if the reason for why is any indication, it could be a while before they do.
AI and battery power apparently don’t mix
The Gemini-enabled Nest Cam needs enough power to pull it off
Google announced a variety of new smart home products — including the new Nest Cam Indoor, Nest Cam Outdoor, and Nest Doorbell — this week. Naturally, each device comes with some improved specs, like 2K HDR video recording, wider field-of-view options, and improved low-light performance. On top of that, the devices will get an injection of AI thanks to Gemini for Home, which is available right now for some users through early access registration.
It is hard to ignore that a certain type of device was left out of Google’s announcement, though, much to the chagrin of all those smart home fanatics that hate dealing with cords: the battery-powered Nest Cam and Nest Doorbell. That’s right, all three of the devices announced by Google this week are wired, and there’s nothing we can do about it.
Credit:Â Google
The answer to why battery-powered Nest Cams and Nest Doorbells were left off the docket is pretty obvious: AI. Gemini has the same steep power demands that all AI models have in 2025, which means that the Gemini-enabled Nest Cams and Nest Doorbells are simply too much for a modern battery to handle.
Given that Gemini for Home is designed to constantly analyze spaces to glean context for more relevant updates — as opposed to turning on and off every time there’s motion like a battery-powered Nest Cam or Doorbell — there simply needs to be a wired connection to make it happen.
It’s definitely a bummer for Nest Cam and Nest Doorbell users that were hoping to get access to the improved specs, especially 2K video quality, because that is a game changer. Unfortunately, with Gemini for Home on the horizon for all devices, it’s safe to assume that the battery-powered devices are going to take a backseat until the power demand problem is solved.
