Gemini AI is finally here for Google Home, and it’s no small upgrade either. According to Google, this latest overhaul of its smart home platform is hitting every single Google device released over the past decade, meaning years worth of Nest and other products are getting Google’s proprietary LLM injected straight into their core.
The move is part of Google’s long running efforts to create a more “helpful home,” though it’s not just Google that has been gunning towards this, per se, as several other pro-channel platform such as Nice and Josh.ai have also been racing to get AI in the driver’s seat to help deliver on more intuitive and natural smart home interactions.
A Quick Refresher on Gemini in Google Home
Google first started showcasing work on developing an integrated Gemini AI for its Google Home back in October 2023 when it released a limited application of Gemini to Nest Aware Plus subscribers.
The main feature there was the ‘Help Me Create’ feature, which allowed users to create bespoke automations without the need for extensive programming knowledge. This feature remains the core focus of Gemini integrations in Google Home, and, in general, stands as the ‘holy grail’ for other platforms looking to embed AI into their systems.
Contextual Interactions Also a Core Focus
Outside of simpler, more intuitive automations, however, there is a broader focus on ‘context’ that AI provides, such as being able to identify what devices need to be controlled based on the room the command originates.
While not nearly as glamorous as being able to make automations off of a simple voice request, this functionality still represents another of AI’s more subtle benefits when incorporated properly into smart home systems.
What’s Coming Out in the New Google Home Gemini AI Release
Google’s announcement introduces four major pillars of this transformation: the Gemini for Home AI engine, a redesigned Google Home app, new hardware engineered for AI-first experiences, and a premium subscription service integrating it all. Google is beginning the rollout this month via early access, inviting user feedback as it iterates.
The Gemini for Home Platform
At the core of Google’s revamp is Gemini for Home, a customized version of its proprietary AI platform, which Google says has been “optimized” for the physical and social dynamics of the home, though specifics on what that means haven’t been given.
As suspected, however, this new AI will be completely replacing Google Assistant across Nest smart displays, speakers, cameras, and doorbells, with the goal being to have Gemini provide more fluid, natural conversation and greater contextual awareness.
This isn’t just a backend AI upgrade, either, as Google states that, instead of responding to discrete commands, the devices will be able to engage in what the company calls “natural collaboration.
In practice, this translates to devices being able to recognize who’s speaking, understanding intent based on past interactions or managing cross-device workflows without the need for scripting.
Google’s Revamped Home App
Accompanying the AI upgrade is a completely redesigned Google Home app, intended as a centralized hub for device management, automation, and insights. According to Google, the app is now faster, more reliable with full support for legacy Nest products.
Newly Engineered Hardware Custom-Made for AI
Google also introduced a new portfolio of hardware designed specifically to leverage Gemini’s capabilities.
The latest Nest Cams and Doorbells feature enhanced image quality and AI-powered features like improved object and event recognition, while the new Google Home Speaker is the first Google audio device purpose-built for Gemini.
Google Home Premium: A New Subscription Layer
Completing the announcement is Google Home Premium, a subscription offering that unlocks Gemini for Home across compatible devices. It is also bundled into higher-tier Google AI subscriptions like Pro and Ultra.
Pro subscriptions start at $19.99 per month with direct access to the Gemini app as well as 2 TB of data storage. Ultra, meanwhile, sits at $124.99 per month, offering 30 TB of data storage in addition to a variety of other features.
How Google Home Fits in With the Current Pro Market
While Google’s strategy is clearly consumer-facing, isolated from the usual installations integrators might undertake, Google products are not without their representation in the average smart home build.
In the CE Pro 100 Brand Analysis, Google/Nest has consistently appeared as a go-to in categories like video surveillance and smart speakers. Moreover, Google’s plans to collaborate more with third-party manufacturers opens the gateway to Google’s new AI-enabled hardware ending up on projects more frequently.
How Gemini for Home Impacts Integrators
However, more substantial are the areas of the smart home Google’s new Gemini for Home is seeking to impact, which we see happening in three spots at the moment:
- Automation: Like other professional solutions, Gemini for Home is aiming to make automation creation simpler and more intuitive. Rather than eliminating the need for integrators to program automations in the first place, however, this can be seen as eliminating the need for integrators to return post-installation to make minor lifestyle tweaks that often come as homeowners spend time with the systems.
- Context: The added context AI provides for location-based automations and commands, in addition to pattern recognition will aim to make interactions with devices more fluid and intuitive, a long-sought-for goal in the realm of voice control, especially as homeowners have grown less patient with complex systems.
- AI-as-a-Service: The addition of a subscription layer for full AI functionality mirrors a growing industry shift toward AI-as-a-service, where advanced features are gated behind recurring payments. For integrators, it opens potential recurring revenue streams and service opportunities for integrators—an area CE Pro has emphasized as crucial to long-term profitability in smart home businesses.
Extra Considerations
For those more familiar in working with subscription models as part of service plans, something such as AI-as-a-service will invariably introduce questions around feature parity and ecosystem fragmentation.
While not widespread just yet, the potential introduction of these service plans could cause headaches, especially for clients moving into home with systems where the prior homeowners had access to the premium features and the incoming homeowners do not. There may even be partial fragmentation among those in mixed households.
Regardless, if/when integrators start to parlay in these types of service models, communication will be vital in conveying the value and true functionality of these services to prospective clients.
Conclusion
Despite largely being a consumer-facing platform, Google’s Gemini-powered overhaul of its smart home ecosystem represents more than a product refresh.
If anything, the fact that the mass-market now has an AI-home assistant aping on the likes of Josh.ai and Nice shows a deeper industry transition occurring at the consumer level—where reactive controls are now giving way to intuitive home intelligence.
For the pro integration community, the challenge and opportunity lie in navigating this AI-driven shift while continuing to deliver reliable, customized solutions that match client expectations.
