The last time we saw Google release a new smart display was with the Google Nest Hub 2nd gen back in 2021. This has led some to suspect Google had no interest in design, but a recent interview has hinted that something could be on the horizon.
In the latest episode of The Vergecast, Google Home’s Chief Product Officer, Anish Kattukaran, was asked about the future of smart displays on Google products. In response, he stated that Google is “definitely committed to smart displays,” but that there was “nothing to announce now, but you should definitely expect that we’ll have news to share there soon.”
Google's interest in maintaining the design has a lot to do with Google Gemini. In the interview, Anish Kattukaran said, “If you think about the properties of a smart display: a microphone, which means audio in, a speaker, so audio out. It’s got a screen, which complements a voice modality, you can interact with it and visualize information.”
He then went on to state that, “As I see where Gemini for Home is going and Gemini more broadly, all of the things Google is investing in building, for me it feels like almost the ultimate form factor to be able to deliver a really great home experience.”
For reference, Google recently announced that Gemini would be replacing Google Assistant for Home devices in August. According to Google, the change will allow for more conversational commands, while also integrating inputs from other Nest devices, like a video doorbell, to answer more complex questions and prompts about your home.
Not only that, Google is also releasing an update for the Google Home app is also seeing improvements. Google announced a new update for the Google Home app's automation editor on both iOS and Android to make your smart home even smarter.
While Google is looking toward the future, there’s plenty of competition coming as well. For instance, Amazon recently announced its new series of Echo devices, including both the Echo Show 9 and the Echo Show 11. Both of these devices come with a smart display, as well as spatial surround sound, as well as feature Alexa+.
Unfortunately, Anish Kattukaran didn't reveal a specific date for any new hardware or announcements. As such, we likely won't hear anything until at least next year, but Google Home and Nest fans should certainly be excited to see what the future holds.
Let us know what you would want to see from a new Google Home smart display, for instance, new features or hardware, as well as what kind of display you would want.
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