Google’s biggest smart home announcement may be the integration of Gemini AI across its devices, but the company also revealed four new hardware products: three Nest cameras and a smart speaker. The third-gen wired Nest Cam Indoor, second-gen wired Nest Cam Outdoor, and third-gen Nest Doorbell are updated versions of their predecessors. The two security cameras boast a significant upgrade to 2K (2,560 by 1,440) resolution, while the new Nest Doorbell features a 2K resolution in a square 2,048-by-2,048 orientation.
The new Nest devices also feature wider fields of view, with the cameras covering 152 degrees and the doorbell seeing 166 degrees. All three devices have better night vision, with a 120% increase in sensitivity to light, which should allow them to provide color views for longer. The new Nest devices start shipping today, with the Nest Cam Indoor retailing for $99.99, the Nest Cam Outdoor for $149.99, and the Nest Doorbell for $179.99. Google also announced a new smart speaker, the Google Home Speaker, which replaces the Nest Audio. The speaker, which costs $99.99, boasts a vertically firing driver that provides consistent sound. It is not, however, coming out until spring 2026.
A Focus on Hardware and Third-Party Partnerships
The new hardware is an interesting companion to the announcement of Gemini AI, which will work on virtually every Nest and Google device made since the 2015 Nest Cam. Google also announced two new third-party devices from Walmart’s onn brand: a budget-priced onn Indoor Cam Wired ($22.96) and an onn Video Doorbell Wired ($48.96). Both of these lower-end home security products have a 1080p resolution but will have access to the same Gemini for Home features that the Nest cameras and doorbell have, with a Google Home Premium subscription.
This is not the first time Walmart has made a budget-priced, Google-powered smart home device. The Onn 4K Pro media streamer uses Google TV and a hands-free Google Assistant, and is a strong competitor to the more expensive Google TV Streamer. The hands-free Google Assistant will be updated to a hands-free Gemini in the future.
What The Author Thinks
The new hardware, while an “afterthought” to the Gemini announcement, is a crucial strategic play by Google. By offering both high-end Nest devices and budget-priced third-party hardware, Google is trying to dominate the smart home market at every price point. This “two-pronged” approach allows Google to compete with both premium brands and more affordable competitors, ensuring that its AI platform, Gemini, becomes the de facto standard for the smart home of the future, regardless of a user’s budget. This move shows that Google is not just a hardware company, but a platform and software company that is willing to partner with others to ensure its AI is at the center of the smart home ecosystem.
Featured image credit: HS You via Flickr
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