Google's Smart Speaker Shines, Gemini Falls Short

Google has launched a new smart speaker powered by Gemini, positioning it as a major AI-driven upgrade for a product category that has long struggled to find purpose beyond basic tasks like music, timers, and smart home control. However, despite the hardware impressing reviewers, Gemini itself appears unready to deliver on its promises. Google follows Amazon, which debuted its own AI-revamped Alexa-powered hardware last fall, but the race to make smart speakers relevant again is far from settled.