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Google announces Home Max and Mini, new smart speakers

These Google Home developments come at a busy time in the world of home tech

By Asad Syrkett

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Two speakers, one gray and one black, sit on a black wood surface in front of a row of books and a gold dish with two green apples in it.
Google’s Home Max smart speaker will be available in December.
James Bareham

’Tis the season for home tech developments: Last week, Amazon unveiled a new Echo priced at $99; and today, Sonos unveiled a new all-in-one smart speaker that features an integration with Amazon’s voice-activated Alexa (“Alexa, play Beyoncé”).

Now comes news from Google’s announcements bonanza this morning that the tech giant is launching the Home Max ($399) and a Home Mini, updates to their smart speaker line. And at $49, the Mini offers real competition for Amazon’s relatively inexpensive Echo Dot, as Nick Statt points out over at The Verge. Like the original Home, both the Max and Mini run Google Assistant and include a voice interface.

These Google Home developments come one year after the Home’s launch; Since then, voice-activated smart speakers have become more of a thing, thanks to Amazon’s prevalence in the market and Apple jumping into the fray with its own offering, the HomePod (which will retail for $349), which will be available in December.

The Google Mini will be available on October 19, while those of you eyeing the Max will have to wait until December.

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