Google Home release date, features and price: Google Home is coming to the UK in April

Google Home is the tech giant’s answer to the question of how to bring you the smart home of tomorrow today – or, at least, later this year.

The device, which was revealed at Google’s I/O conference in May 2016, leverages Google’s latest virtual assistant to provide you with a real-world search tool, media centre, and IoT controller all in one.

The device competes directly with Amazon Echo – as well as Apple HomeKit.

Google Home is due later in 2016. Here you will find all the latest information about the device, including its features, colour variants and the latest news.

At-a-glance

• Google Home is a voice-activated smart assistant for your home
• It is due to launch on 6 April 2017 in the UK
• It is cheaper than the Amazon Echo

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Google Home news

28/03/2017: Google Home is coming to the UK in April

Google Home will land in UK homes from 6 April, the tech giant revealed today.

Priced at £129, it’s cheaper than its Amazon rival, the Echo, which costs £149.99, and it will be available from Argos, Dixons, John Lewis and Maplin, and later, EE.

In a blog post detailing the release, Google confirmed that Home’s built-in AI chatbot, Google Assistant, will be able to help with translations, calculations, and “deliver a news briefing” from publications like the BBC, the Guardian, The Financial Times, The Sun, and others.

Hopefully Google has fixed the issue that saw Home summarise unreliable news sources, responding to a question about the former US president by accusing former President Barack Obama of plotting with the Chinese and planning a Communist coup.

Google will also sell fabric bases for £18 and metal bases for £36 in a range of colours.

“We know the UK has been patiently waiting for Google Home to arrive and we’ve been working with our favorite partners to give you the best possible experience,” the blog post read. “We’ll partner with more of your favorite apps and services to help you do more with Google Home over time. And of course, we’ve hidden a few British treats for you to discover. Just try asking Google Home about its hobbies or favorite foods.”

Home came out on 4 November 2016 in the US, where its launch price was $129.

Google Wifi

The company is also rolling out its own Wi-Fi tool to compensate for the UK’s numerous dodgy broadband connections, using a technology called mesh Wi-Fi in its Google Wifi product to bypass routers that can’t handle modern streaming activities like watching videos or playing games.

“Within our mesh network, each Google Wifi point creates a high-powered connection, and the different Wifi points work together to determine the best path for your data,” said Google. “The result is Wi-Fi coverage even in hard-to reach areas, not just right next to the router.”

Google Wifi is also priced at £129 – or £229 for a two-pack – sold via the Google Store, Dixons, Argos, Maplin and John Lewis – and coming soon to Amazon.

Google Home release date

Google Home launched in the US on 4 November, 2016, but does not come out in the UK until the following year. In March 2017, Google confirmed Home’s UK launch date would be 6 April, 2017. 

Google Home price

Google focused on undercutting its biggest rival, the Amazon Echo, both in the UK and the US. Home costs $129 in the US, much cheaper than the Echo’s $179.99 price. In the UK, meanwhile, the Home costs £129, compared to the Echo’s £149.99 price.

Google Home features

Google Home is a web-enabled digital assistant to help you complete day-to-day tasks and entertain yourself at home.

The voice-activated product is powered by Google Assistant, the company’s latest breakthrough in conversational artificial intelligence. Similar to Google Now, you can use the jug-sized device to play music and control streaming video playback of films and TV programmes via built-in support for the Google Cast protocol.

You can also ask questions and get answers, just as you do on your smartphone. You could check cinema showtimes, check your flight details and plenty more, according to Google.

The assistant can translate foreign languages or perform calculations, and users can also get news briefings from various news sources. At the time of launch, those included the BBC, The Guardian, The Financial Times, The Sun, The Telegraph, Huffington Post, Sky News, Sky Sports and others. 

Users will hope Google has tightened up the algorithms that back up Home’s ability to answer questions, after it pulled in some questionable news sources to tell a BBC journalist that former US President Barack Obama may be planning a Communist coup.

In addition to entertainment and answering questions, the device also acts as a smart IoT controller. So you could set a timer for you oven. On a more advanced level – and with further set up required – Google says you could turn on your lights, among other things. Google Home is also planned to have integration with other smart home IoT systems, starting with the Google-owned Nest, though this feature is set for the future and isn’t expected to be supported at launch.

Google Home versions, colours and accessories

Google Home should come in a variety of different base colours. These bases will be customisable, so you can choose the base that best suits the room your Google Home unit is in.

Fabric bases will cost £18 on the Google Store, while metal bases will cost £36 – both will come in a range of colours yet to be revealed.

If you’d like to find out more about how Google Home stacks up against its rivals, Amazon Echo anad Apple HomeKit, see our comparison article.

You can find the official Google Home site here.