Gemini's arrival on Google Home has been well overdue. Well, prayers have been answered and the firm has finally announced Gemini for Home, which it's calling the most advanced AI designed for households.
Alongside the Pixel 10 series launch, Google has also announced in a blog post that it will soon phase out Google Assistant and replace it with Gemini for Home. The AI-powered voice assistant will bring advanced capabilities to Google Home devices like smart speakers and displays, including better integration with Calendars, Lists, Timers and more.
Like Assistant, Gemini for Home will activate with the Hey Google keyword, but Google says the interactions will be less command-driven and more conversational. Gemini will be able to handle complex requests such as "turn off the lights everywhere except my bedroom" and manage multiple actions at once.
Besides, Google's new assistant will also bring Media control upgrades, where users will no longer need to ask to play exact titles, and just say, for example, "play the song of the year winner from 1990." The new Gemini for Home will also bring Gemini Live for real-time conversations.
With Gemini Live, users can get more personalised advice and brainstorm ideas. Gemini for Home can be invoked with the "Hey Google, let's chat" keyword, similar to the "Hey Google, let's go live" keyword that can be invoked on Pixel phones and earbuds.
Google says that over time, Gemini for Home will replace Google Assistant on existing speakers and displays. Early access for the new assistant begins in October 2025, and it will have both free and paid tiers. It should be interesting to see how the paid tier manages to differentiate itself from the free version.
However, it's not just Google Home products that are getting smarter with Gemini AI integration. Google also injected Photos with a conversational AI editing tool. Additionally, the Pixel 10 lineup also got a quirky new Camera Coach feature alongside a new Gemini Nano-powered Journal app.
