Google may have accidentally spoiled one of its own surprises, although it could have been slyly intentional. During yesterday’s Made By Google 2025 showcase, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo in a skit with NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and F1 driver Lando Norris revealed what looked suspiciously like an unannounced smart speaker.
The device, a compact gray orb with a glowing light ring at its base, wasn’t mentioned on stage. Nevertheless, fewer than 24 hours later, AndroidHeadlines said it viewed proper images and got some details on the hardware. As you might expect, it’ll be running a Gemini Live-based voice assistant.
Gemini is coming to your living room
A somewhat predictable yet long-awaited entrance
The rumored device, in the bottom left of this screenshot from Made By Google ’25.
The speaker could be the company’s clearest push yet to move its AI assistant out of the phone and into the home. The glowing light ring is a shift from the four dots used on Nest hardware, signaling that the transition from Google Assistant to Gemini is meant to be as visible as it is functional.
Four colors, familiar design
The leaked Google Home Speaker seems poised to take over the Nest Mini’s place.
AndroidHeadlines said it viewed four colors: black, white, light green, and a punchy red. Design-wise, it’s hard to miss the resemblance to Apple’s HomePod Mini, though Google’s speaker is a little more plump. A light ring surrounds the bottom edge of the speaker rather than the top, similar to Amazon’s Echo Dot. The fabric-wrapped exterior maintains the design aesthetic of Google’s previous Nest lineup.
When can you buy one?
Those four LEDs on top are likely gone with the new model.
That’s the big question. With the Pixel 10, Pixel Watch 4, and Pixel Buds 2a already revealed, the smart speaker feels conspicuously absent. Its cameo in Google’s own promo reel suggests an announcement isn’t far off. There’s still no word on when Google plans to unveil the new speaker, but our bet is before the holiday shopping season—or, at the latest, alongside the Pixel 10a early next year.
Either way, this is the clearest sign yet that Google intends Gemini to live everywhere — in your pocket, in your car, and now, sitting on your coffee table.
