Gemini sounds impressively human and offers responses that approximate an interaction with another person. Sometimes the answers get a little long, so be prepared for that. But Google Gemini is nonetheless a little smarter than other assistants in its cohort; He is able to answer questions about my own schedule and knows to consult with me about my artist preference if a song I request has multiple versions.

Gemini for Home is free, but some features you might like are hidden behind paywalls. For example, Google rebranded its video camera subscriptions as “Google Home Premium,” which includes some smart home assistant features and video storage in one price. There are two tiers: Standard ($10 per month or $100 per year), which includes 30 days of event-based video history, smart alerts for things like faces and family packages, Gemini Live, and an AI-based tool to help you create smart home routines for your home. The Advanced tier ($20 per month or $200 per year) includes 60 days of event-based video history, 10 days of 24/7 video history, descriptive notifications, searchable video history, video event descriptions, and daily summaries of recorded events, plus everything on the cheaper plan.

Gemini Live is the main behind-the-paywall feature you might want; allows you to switch your smart speaker to a more conversational mode. Using this feature, I had a long, natural conversation with my speaker that covered my 3-year-old’s sleeping patterns, sunburn on his scalp, and the night before. love island episode. It worked well, but it’s not a capability I imagine I’ll use when I’m not actively testing.

Gemini Live doesn’t work on all Google speakers, but in addition to working on the Google Home Speaker, it also works on all three versions of its available smart displays, including two iterations of the Nest Hub. My favorite is the 10-inch Nest Hub Max; It doubles as a digital photo frame powered by Google Photos, which works much better than Amazon’s clunky uploader and might even be a tool you’re already using. Google accounts get up to 15GB of free storage (which will also include any Gmail or Drive files), so there are plenty of photos you can store and display on this device.

The Nest Hub Max has a solid sound profile thanks to its slim build with two 10-watt tweeters and a 30-watt woofer. The 10-inch touchscreen is a great size for everything from controlling your smart home and streaming videos to viewing recipes and enjoying your own photos. Many of these capabilities are smart display dependent, meaning they can’t be accessed with a smart speaker without a display. It’s not the only smart display option on the market, but it has a prettier interface than Amazon’s Echo Show 11 (below), and unlike the Show 11, you won’t see any ads scrolling across this Nest’s screen. There’s also a camera for video calls and gesture-based controls. While there is no camera cover, you can disable it if you prefer.

The best for Amazon users

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CABLING

• Impressive and immersive sound, especially for its small size.
• Compatible with Alexa and Alexa+, and good for listening to requests, even with loud music
• Has a built-in smart home hub

TIRED

• Expensive for such a small speaker

Most of the smart speakers I see in friends’ houses come from the Amazon Echo line. The options are plentiful and many of the ones I see are older models, like the disc-shaped Echo Dot. These dated speakers still have pretty good support, although not everyone can get access to Alexa+, Amazon’s newest AI-powered voice assistant. But even if your smart speaker can use Alexa+, it’s only worth upgrading if you have Amazon Prime, which includes access to the assistant. Without a Prime subscription, you’d have to pay $20 a month for Alexa+ alone. It’s literally cheaper to get Amazon Prime ($15 a month for most plans), which comes with a wider range of benefits. This pricing model is surely intentional, as it may serve as a nudge to get you to sign up for Prime if you haven’t already.

The Echo Dot Max is one of Amazon’s newest models. Launching in late 2025, it took the small form factor of previous Dot models and updated the device with impressive sound quality, a built-in smart home hub, access to Alexa and Alexa+, and a slightly different look. It’s surprisingly loud without being confusing, especially considering its small size. Surprisingly, it can still hear my requests even when the room is noisy or there is loud music. I tested it with the latest Echo Studio last year and found the speakers to be more similar in quality than I expected. The Dot Max is more expensive than older Dot models; If you don’t need top-tier sound, the affordable Echo Dot (5th generation), available for half the price, could be a good option for your needs.