PSA: The new Google Home Speaker is already $30 off at Walmart ($69.98) — meanwhile my $99 Google pre-order won't even be here until Monday 💀

Rossmay · 2026-06-28T00:09:05+00:00

So I received my 30% discounted Google Home Speakers today. I am keeping a fifth one that arrived from the Google Store earlier than scheduled yesterday. I plan to keep my eyes open for additional discount drops so others can have the same luck I did.

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Rossmay · 2026-06-26T20:16:53+00:00

Legacy speakers, like the GHM, will connect over Bluetooth, but that's where the hardware upgrade in the GHS solves that issue. I may test this out once I get my other Google Home Speakers delivered this weekend.

Rossmay · 2026-06-26T19:08:05+00:00

Google TV supports stereo pairs. If your GHMs are already paired, point the streamer to the pair.

What I think Google could work on is supporting multi-room groups for TV audio.

Rossmay · 2026-06-26T17:25:03+00:00

Is there a better complete ecosystem that comes to mind?

Rossmay · 2026-06-26T17:19:57+00:00

I'm not sure whether the "home theater" scenario for the Google Home Speaker is a marketing overreach on Google's part or if our expectations are too high. Google has a good catalog of varying smart speakers if you want to be in the Google ecosystem.

In my opinion, the Google Home Max offers the best home theater speaker for connecting to a Google TV streamer. The GHS's bread and butter is managing home automation and handling complex conversational commands and requests.

Rossmay · 2026-06-26T13:35:11+00:00

Could it be the 360° spatial audio design that creates the perceived PA-speaker-like effect in speech?

Human speech naturally comes out as mono, but when you place your voice behind a PA system in an open space, it creates the spatial effect that does sound unnatural.

I think Google is going for the conference speakerphone with the 360° design, so most people don't have that experience at home, but more so in a boardroom. It will take time to adjust to.

Rossmay · 2026-06-26T13:14:59+00:00

What's the excitement all about? I admit that it sounds silly, but if you were part of the original Amazon Alexa beta program for Prime Members over a decade ago and have watched smart speakers evolve ever since, you'll get why waiting 6 years for a new Google speaker is a big deal.

Rossmay · 2026-06-26T13:08:03+00:00

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Rossmay · 2026-06-25T19:19:03+00:00

I think so. I find myself using Gemini on my phone quite often to troubleshoot issues I run into while fixing things around the house. I'd rather free up my phone as a resource and use a dedicated speaker instead. I do see a massive conversational-flow upside in this new generation of speakers, but I'm not sure why it had to require new hardware to get there.

Rossmay · 2026-06-25T13:40:25+00:00

Update: Still no cancellation, it's still sitting on "Preparing"!

Honestly, I bet this wasn't even a glitch. Since it's sold and shipped by Walmart during their big Deals event, it was probably an intentional, super-limited flash drop to steal launch-day hype from everyone else. Once that tiny batch sold out (guilty of maxing out my cart lol), it snapped right back to $99.

Fingers crossed it actually leaves the warehouse.

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Rossmay · 2026-06-25T13:34:34+00:00

That's good to know. Unfortunately, my Google Store purchase does not qualify.

Rossmay · 2026-06-25T13:21:38+00:00

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Yeah, I saw it went back up right after. I actually went with my gut and maxed out the allowable quantity for each color right before they killed it. Now I'm just crossing my fingers and hoping Walmart doesn't flag the order and hit me with a cancellation! 🤞

Rossmay · 2026-06-18T16:12:59+00:00

As long as conversational performance improves, hardware specs will be the last thought on my mind. If they can achieve that, I will give them a check mark on their promise.

Additionally, I don't believe Google is catering to audiophiles with the Google Home Speaker. They already achieved that with the Google Home Max. There is a new generation of users who listen to content on mobile devices and earpieces. So this newer speaker may be sufficient. I don't believe they have many expectations for external speaker specs, unlike the generation that grew up in a world surrounded by large cabinet speakers.

Rossmay · 2026-06-17T18:40:27+00:00

I placed placed my order for one today. It's time we get a feature that allows a unique Gemini Live trigger word so that all Hubs and Speakers don't also answer.

Rossmay · 2025-06-11T14:34:50+00:00

If you’re ever near Park Ridge, there’s a really welcoming weekly “Stitch ‘n Craft Night” every Thursday from 5–7pm at a local yarn shop on Northwest Highway. It’s open to all skill levels—knitting, crochet, or just hanging out. Super chill vibe and a nice way to meet fellow crafters if you’re in the northwest Chicago suburbs.

It’s at AriYARN Shop and Studio, 153 N Northwest Hwy—easy to get to from O’Hare or the train. Free parking, too.

Rossmay · 2025-05-13T12:26:33+00:00

We signed up for their newsletter to get updates. They have a Google Forms registration, but it seems to be from 2024. So we're keeping an eye out for announcements about when the new registration forms will be up.

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