Gemini will get new third-party smart speakers, early listing reveals ahead of Google Home Speaker
Source: 9to5Google
Gemini is reviving the idea of a smart speaker for Google, with the upcoming “Google Home Speaker” being the first new hardware in years. It also looks like we might see a revival of third‑party smart speakers in the Gemini era—something we haven’t seen in a while.
The return of third‑party Google Assistant speakers
For a long time “Google Assistant smart speaker” didn’t refer only to Google’s first‑party hardware. Everyone knows about the Google Home Mini and, to a lesser extent, the Nest Audio, but there was once a thriving market of third‑party Assistant speakers from the likes of JBL and countless others. Then they mostly vanished.
The last memorable smart speaker with Google Assistant was the 2023 JBL Authentics lineup – which were excellent, by the way.
Onn Smart Speaker (Walmart)
A product listing on the CSA (the organization behind the Matter standard) reveals a new “Onn Smart Speaker” in development by Walmart. The simple speaker has an understated design with Gemini voice controls and audio streaming via Bluetooth or Google Cast. Physical volume and play/pause controls are visible, and a microphone privacy switch is mentioned.
Listing: A Gemini‑powered smart home speaker integrating voice assistant, audio playback, and smart‑home control functionality. Supports Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth, enables media streaming via Google Cast for Audio, features a 10 W speaker and a far‑field microphone array, includes physical controls, LED indicators, and a hardware microphone privacy switch.
CSA product page
Walmart hasn’t officially launched the device, nor does it appear on the retailer’s website or in stores yet. It would make sense for it to launch alongside the new Google TV hardware Walmart has been sending to stores (also without official announcements).
- Walmart Google TV official launch nears 2026
- Reddit user spotted the listing: r/OnnStreamingTV thread
- Early details about Walmart’s new Google TV devices: 9to5Google article
It’s unclear when Walmart might launch this device, but it sets the stage for a revival of third‑party smart speaker hardware powered by Google’s voice assistant. Gemini is already available on a host of older Assistant speakers, so this development makes sense and will be interesting to watch.
Google Home Speaker timeline
The Google Home Speaker is expected to launch in the near future, potentially within weeks, based on the company’s initial timeline.