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Google Home to sell for $129, launches on November 4

After announcing its smart speaker in May, Google gave more details Tuesday about the device's cost and availability.

Laura Hautala Former Senior Writer
Laura wrote about e-commerce and Amazon, and she occasionally covered cool science topics. Previously, she broke down cybersecurity and privacy issues for CNET readers. Laura is based in Tacoma, Washington, and was into sourdough before the pandemic.
Expertise E-commerce, Amazon, earned wage access, online marketplaces, direct to consumer, unions, labor and employment, supply chain, cybersecurity, privacy, stalkerware, hacking. Credentials
  • 2022 Eddie Award for a single article in consumer technology
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Laura Hautala
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Google

Okay Google, how much does the Google Home smart speaker cost?

Answer: $129.

Available for preorder on Tuesday and shipping on November 4, Google Home is an internet-connected speaker with a built-in virtual assistant. It can query the internet and make online purchases for you, in addition to talking with other smarthome devices like the Nest connected thermostat.

Google announced the smart speaker and the virtual assistant that dwells inside in May at its annual developer event, I/O, but kept the key details under wraps until today.

Google Home represents a direct competitor to Amazon's Alexa, which also serves as a voice-activated conduit to the internet. Amazon has been steadily getting Alexa into homes via its Echo speaker, and just announced a cheaper $50 Echo Dot. They're just the latest companies to pour resources in digital assistants, which also include Apple's Siri and Microsoft's Cortana.

These companies see digital assistants and the bulking up of artificial intelligence as an opportunity to eventually build a stronger relationship with its customers and users. In Google's case, increasing interaction with Assistant ultimately means an improved ability to serve relevant ads or recommendations for products.