One of the hidden surprises during the Made by Google event in August was the brief appearance of an unannounced smart speaker. Google has so far kept quiet about it, but a new leak may have revealed its name and a potential feature.
Say hello to the Google Home Speaker
Google may abandon the Nest branding and call its next smart speaker the rather blunt Google Home Speaker. The name was discovered in strings of code inside version 3.41 of the Google Home for Android app, as reported by 9to5Google.
Alongside the name, the APK teardown also suggests the speaker may have 360-audio support. That wouldn’t be such a big surprise, considering that the speaker we saw in August had a spherical design, reminiscent of Apple’s HomePod Mini.
Nest Aware may get a rebrand
Google seems to plan a return to the original Google Home names across the board and leave the Nest branding behind. Other strings of code suggest that the Nest Aware subscription service will be rebranded to Google Home Premium.
Would you buy a Google Home Speaker?
Yes, it looks amazing
42%
Maybe, if it has good features
46%
No
12%
The same will happen with Nest Aware Plus, which may be renamed to Google Home Premium Advanced, which sounds like a horrible name. However, those strings make it more likely that the “Google Home Speaker” line is the product’s actual name and not just a placeholder.
Google is more popular than Nest
Google Home Speaker sounds like the worst and most generic name the company could’ve thought of, but I understand why it may have chosen it. As popular as Nest cameras have been, very few brands can beat Google, especially among the general public, which isn’t deeply involved with tech.
After all, the most important thing about the speaker will be its sound quality and features. Along with the Google brand, that will certainly sell more units than a nicer name alone.
Ilia, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, has been covering the mobile industry since 2011, with experience at outlets like Forbes Bulgaria. Passionate about smartphones, tablets, and consumer tech, he blends deep industry knowledge with a personal fascination that began with his first Nokia and Sony Ericsson devices. Originally from Bulgaria and now based in Lima, Peru, Ilia balances his tech obsessions with walking his dog, training at the gym, and slowly mastering Spanish.
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