Google today launched new smart home devices - Google Home devices built around its AI assistant Gemini for Home. These are no longer “cameras that record”, but “cameras that understand”. The new Nest Cam, Doorbell and Google Home Speaker promise better pictures, better sounds and - of course - smarter interactions.
For years, smart homes have promised to be… smart. In reality, we’ve often struggled with voice commands that only worked every third time, apps that looked like they were from 2012, and cameras that could tell “motion”—but not whether it was a cat, the mailman, or just leaves in the wind. Today, Google is introducing — Google Home devices.
Google now claims that era is coming to an end. The new Nest Cam Indoor, Nest Cam Outdoor, and Nest Doorbell are designed to Gemini, Google’s AI that doesn’t just recognize what it sees – it understands context. And that’s the big difference: a camera that no longer just says “there’s a person at the door,” but “the courier left a package at the door.” That’s the level of usability that a smart home actually needs.
New cameras: clearer, wider, smarter
A picture that even grandma from WhatsApp would approve of – Google Home devices
The cameras are recording in 2K HDR – sharp enough to see the expression on the mailman’s face or finally figure out which of the kids broke the vase in the living room. Plus, they have a wider viewing angle (152° for the cameras, 166° for the doorbell), meaning no more severed visitor heads and forgotten packages on the floor. One major update – Google Home devices.
Night is no longer an excuse
New lenses and sensors mean better color in the dark. So when your dog escapes the fence at night, you'll see it in color—not just a black-and-white blurry shadow.
Notifications that actually make sense
Gemini in action: instead of the classic push notification “Motion detected,” you now get something like: “The dog jumped out of the enclosure.” This is the difference between useful information and unnecessary panic.
Google Home Speaker: Music, Cinema, and AI Vibe
If cameras are the ones that give you eyes in the house, the new Google Home Speaker the heart of the system. It's not just a speaker – it's the first dedicated speaker for Gemini.
- 360° sound: fills the room evenly with music, so you no longer have to fight for the listening “sweet spot”.
- Gemini interaction: fluent, natural conversations with AI. No more “Hey Google, turn off the light in the kitchen”, but: “Turn off the lights in the kitchen, set an alarm for tomorrow and tell me if the postman has arrived yet.”
- Home theater: two connected speakers + Google TV = home theater with serious surround sound.
- Light ring: the speaker glows like a futuristic light that shows whether the AI is listening, thinking, or responding. Almost like visual “emojis” of your assistant.
Gemini for Home: a step forward or a big brother?
Google Home devices and Google promises a smart home that is truly smart. But – with each new generation of AI devices, the question also grows: How much privacy are we willing to trade for convenience?
It's true: the video is encrypted, the microphone can be physically turned off, the materials are recycled (yay, planet!). But cameras that can interpret what's happening mean that more and more data is flowing through the algorithms. And while Google promises security, we know: in the digital world, "never" and "always" don't last long.
Price and future
- Nest Cam Indoor (3rd gen): 99.99 $ / comparable in EU
- Nest Cam Outdoor (2nd gen): 149.99 $ (double pack 249.99 $) / comparable in EU
- Nest Doorbell (3rd gen): 179.99 $ / comparable in EU
- Google Home Speaker: available spring 2026 for 99.99 $ / comparable in EU
The cameras and doorbell are coming first to the US, Canada, UK, Ireland and Australia, with expansion to other regions in 2026The speaker is coming globally this spring.
Conclusion: Will your home become truly smart?
If the first generation of smart devices was more of a “gadget for geeks,” this generation is actually useful for everyone. Google is now building a smart home that can connect information, understand what’s happening, and converse with the user in a natural way.
The only question is, Are we ready to embrace a home that not only hears and sees – but also thinks?.