Apparently the cat is out of the bag because after images from regulatory filings depicting Google’s next smart speaker leaked earlier this week, Google decided to release an official teaser of the Nest team’s upcoming device.
While Google made no mention of the gadget’s official name, price, or release date, just a quick look at the image above basically confirms that the leaked device will indeed be the long-overdue replacement for the original Google Home, which first went on sale way back in 2016.
Aside from confirming that a new Google speaker is on the way, Google’s teaser (which includes a short supercut posted below) also sheds light on some other aspects of the device. Sporting a rounded rectangular body covered in fabric, the next Google Home’s design nicely bridges the size gap between the Nest Mini and the Google Home Max while still maintaining a cohesive design language across Google’s full range of smart speakers. It’s a much-needed update, as the original Google Home’s design—which sort of looks like a futuristic air diffuser— hasn’t aged particularly well.
As info from the regulatory filings suggested, the next Google Home features a set of indicator lights hidden behind its fabric exterior, while the blue version (which looks to be the same shade currently available on the Nest Mini) indicates that it will probably share some of the same pastel color options used on other Nest products. That said, every year Google tends to add a couple of new hues to its product lineup (blue and coral were the main additions last year), usually during its fall product showcase, so don’t be surprised if some new colors make a debut later this year.
While dropping an official image of what is still technically an unnamed product might seem a bit strange, Google has actually done this before. Last year, following a ton of leaks and rumors regarding the Pixel 4, Google released an official image of the phone in June, which was more than four months before the phone got fully revealed later in October.
So in a way, Google is sort of validating all the tech sleuths constantly searching for hints and leaks for upcoming products, because who knows, if enough info gets uncovered, Google may just release even more details about upcoming products. Until then, we’re just going to have to wait until later this fall when we expect Google to reveal more info about its next smart speaker and everything else the company has in store.