Google has announced that its Gemini AI assistant will begin rolling out to smart displays and speakers in an early access program starting this October. This new service, called Gemini for Home, is set to replace the current Google Assistant on the company’s own smart home devices.
A notable aspect of the launch is the confirmation that Gemini for Home will be available in both free and paid tiers. This move signals Google’s intent to grow its subscription-based revenue, a strategy already being pursued by competitors like Amazon with its upcoming Alexa Plus service.
The initial demonstration of Gemini for Home occurred at CES earlier this year. Google’s primary promise was that its generative AI technology would enable far more natural and fluid conversations with devices, eliminating the need for rigid, specific voice commands. Users will be able to interact with Gemini in a conversational manner, similar to how they would speak to another person, whether they are asking a complex question or instructing it to control a connected thermostat.
A significant potential advancement lies in Gemini’s multimodal capabilities. This means the AI could theoretically process inputs from various Nest devices simultaneously. For instance, it might use the video feed from a security camera to answer a question about what is happening in another room, providing a more contextual and intelligent understanding of a user’s home environment.
For the October early access release, Google is committing to these previously shown improvements. The rollout will also include access to a feature called Gemini Live, which is designed to facilitate even more personalized and extended conversations with the AI assistant.
What remains unclear from the announcement are the specific details regarding pricing and which advanced features will be exclusive to the paid subscription. Earlier this year, Google indicated that subscribers to its Nest Aware service, which costs ten dollars per month, would receive early access to Gemini features. It is possible that the enhanced Gemini tier could be bundled into the existing Nest Aware subscription, or it might be offered as a separate, standalone add-on service.
Google has stated that it will share more information about the rollout soon. This future announcement could potentially coincide with the launch of new Nest hardware. The current Nest Hub smart display has been on the market since 2021, making the product line long overdue for a hardware refresh that could better leverage the new capabilities of the Gemini AI.