Gemini for Home is here with new Nest cameras, and the AI 'Home Speaker' debuts

What you need to know

• Google fully unveiled its Gemini for Home smart home focus, beginning with a new line of Nest Cam Indoor, Nest Cam Outdoor, and Nest Doorbell devices.
• These devices have been upgraded with Gemini for intelligent alerts with video previews, Home Brief, Ask Home, and 2K HDR video capabilities with improved aspect ratio and wider viewing.
• Google also debuted the Home Speaker, fully equipped to be your Gemini helper at home with a colorful ring light and "natural conversation" capabilities.
• The Nest Cam Indoor starts at $99.99, Nest Cam Outdoor starts at $149.99, and the Nest Doorbell starts at $179.99 on October 1.

October's typically the "spooky month," but Google's dropping a whole new line of smart home products with cameras that give you peace of mind, not fright.

We caught wind of an all-new smart speaker during Google's event in August for the Pixel 10 series, and the company started teasing something new early in September. Here in October, Google's kicking off the spooky month by introducing Gemini for Home, a new range of smart home devices with its AI model woven directly into the core of every single product. These new cameras, a Nest Cam Indoor (3rd Gen), Nest Cam Outdoor (2nd Gen), and a Nest Doorbell (3rd Gen), offer an experience you'll find familiar, but greatly enhanced by upgraded hardware and Gemini.

Internally, Gemini's at the heart, and Google says you'll find new capabilities thanks to its multimodal software, like more detailed alerts from home.

The press release states users will "get the full picture" behind every alert and "see important moments up close with a zoomed-in video preview." In the app, users will find that they're scrolling less through their video history. Leveraging "Ask Home," users can ask the AI a specific question like, "What happened to the vase in the living room?" Google states the AI will produce a description of what happened, as well as a video for proof.

Additionally, within the app's Home Brief, users will receive a summary of every event that may have happened while they were away without hopping from video to video.

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On a hardware level, Google states all three cameras have been upgraded with 2K HDR video capabilities. Joining that is a wider, taller aspect ratio for videos. The post states the new Nest Cams grab 152-degree diagonal viewing, while the Doorbell sees an upgraded 1:1 aspect ratio and 166-degree diagonal viewing, giving homeowners a much fuller picture of anything going on in or around their home.

Lastly, Google states it's improved the low-light performance, so users will find richer colors and details in darker scenarios.

User privacy is a big deal, especially for cameras that are so personal. Google states the newest cameras have their videos encrypted, and there's two-step verification using your Google Account. Moreover, users will notice a green light on their cameras, informing them when it's processing or streaming video.

Without worrying about a subscription, Google states the newest Nest cameras provide a zoom and crop-out feature, so you can focus on what matters in any given event. The built-in "intelligent alerts" for identifying people, vehicles, animals, and more are included without extra cost (a subscription). What's more, homeowners receive "video history included," meaning you can go back and see what's going on from six hours ago, instead of three.

The new Nest Cams and Doorbell are launching today (Oct 1) on the Google Store and "major retailers." In Snow, Hazel, and Berry, the Nest Cam Indoor starts at $99.99. Available in Snow and Hazel, the Nest Cam Outdoor starts at $149.99. Finally, debuting in Snow, hazel, and Linen, the new Nest Doorbell starts at $179.99.

The Indoor and Outdoor cams will hit markets in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Japan, the U.K., Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. The Doorbell will only arrive in the U.S. and Canada, presumably, for now.

A conversational Google Home Speaker

That new Nest Indoor camera isn't the only product arriving with Gemini for your home. Truly surging ahead in the "Gemini for Home" era is the new Google Home Speaker that's reportedly "engineered for Gemini." At its core, Gemini is what makes this Speaker, as the post states, the product is designed for "natural conversations." The new Home Speaker has been outfitted with "custom processing" to handle any task you give it with fluidity.

Rounding its rounder design is a circular ring light right beneath it. Google says this light is there for visual feedback, so you know when Gemini is listening, "reasoning," responding to your question, or in "Gemini Live Mode."

Consumers will find the new Speaker produces 360-degree audio and a long-requested feature: the ability to pair two Google Home Speakers with the Google TV Streamer. Google teases that users can use two Speakers can turn their living spaces into a little home theater, if they'd like. Existing features, such as grouping multiple Nest speakers for multi-room music enjoyment, remain.

Users can physically mute the Google Home Speaker with its mic toggle on its frame.

The Google Home Speaker will debut in Porcelain, Hazel, Jade, and Berry. However, consumers will not see this product launch with the other Nest cameras previously highlighted. Google states that it wants to roll out Gemini for Home in early access for its device ecosystem before introducing the next big thing. As a result, the Google Home speaker will not launch until Spring 2026, but when it does, you'll find it for $99.

Consumers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand are on deck to receive it next year.

Coming to Walmart

While Google is announcing its new Gemini for Home era, the company is also drawing awareness to an expansion, which brings Walmart's onn series into the mix. Google states it is partnering with Walmart to bring the new onn Indoor Camera Wired and onn Video Doorbell Wired devices to consumers today (Oct 1). You'll find 1080p resolution, Gemini's intelligent event alerts, and more, all through the Google Home app. However, it's worth mentioning that you'll need a Google Home Premium subscription for these features.

The Indoor Wired starts at $22.96, while the Outdoor Wired goes for $49.86 at Walmart across the U.S.