New Hardware in the Google Store

Google has introduced Google Home Mini Google has introduced the Google Home Mini and Google Home Max, as well as the Pixel Buds. One thing all these products have in common is the Google Assistant. With new Assistant features across the line, they're built with the Assistant in mind, ready to help you do more. New hardware is available in the Google Store.

Exactly one year ago, Google introduced Google Assistant, which lets you have a natural conversation with Google. Its key features are that it should be helpful, simple to use, available wherever you need it, and understand your context—location, the device you're using, and so on. And that's exactly what we've been working toward. So before we dive into what's new today, let's take a look back at some of our highlights from the past year:

• Hardware that works with your assistant Android phones, iPhones, headphones, voice-activated speakers like Google Home and others from various manufacturers, Android Wear, and Android TV.
• Your Assistant in more languages ​​and places Google Home is available in the UK, Canada (English and French), Australia, Germany, France, and, today, Japan. The assistant on eligible Android phones and iPhones is also available in Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, and soon in Italian, Spanish (in Mexico and Spain), and Singapore English.
• Smart home devices and platforms that work with your Assistant: Now you can control over 1.000 smart home products from more than 100 brands, including August Home, Logitech Harmony, Nest, Philips Hue, SmartThings, and Wemo.
• Features to make your assistant better – Hands-free calling, reminders, shopping, shortcuts, step-by-step instructions for millions of recipes, and more have been introduced. And, of course, Voice Match, which lets different household members get personalized help on a shared device. So when you ask a question, the Assistant can recognize your voice and respond with your preferences for news, calendar, switching, and reminders. Starting today, Voice Match will be available in all countries where Google Home is available (US, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and Japan).

Google has come a long way in the last year, but this motivates them with what's still in store, starting with their recent announcements. Here's a look at what's coming in the next few months:

• Choose a new voice The Assistant now has two voice options, starting in the United States, so you can choose the one that's right for you. Try it today by going to your Google Home or Google Assistant app settings on your phone and navigating to preferences.
• Spend time with family The assistant will soon have more than 50 new ways for families to have fun, and with support for child accounts managed with Family Link already on Android phones and coming to Google Home, you can have fun whether you're on the go or at home. Soon, you'll be able to say "Hey Google, let's play a game" and go on an adventure with Mickey Mouse, identify your alter ego with the Justice League Super Hero DC, or play Freeze Dance in your living room. You can learn by saying "Let's learn" and then quiz yourself with games like "Speak Like a Chef" or "Play Space Trivia." When it's time for bed, try saying "Hey Google, tell me a story" to hear classics like Snow White and original stories like "The Chef Who Loved Potatoes."
• Manage your routines Your assistant will soon be able to help you manage your daily routines across your devices. So, once you've set up your preferences, when you say "Hey Google, we're going home," your Assistant can update you about your trip, text your partner that you're on your way, and pick up your podcast where you left off. And when you get home, just say "Hey Google, I'm home," and it will turn on the lights, adjust to your preferred temperature, and share your reminders.
• Transactions During the next week, you'll also be able to make quick and easy purchases with your Assistant, starting with 1-800-Flowers, Applebee's, Panera, and Ticketmaster. Just say, "Hey Google, talk to Ticketmaster," to your Assistant on your phone to find and buy your tickets.
• Outreach With the new broadcast feature, your Assistant can round up the family and announce to Google Homes around the house that it's dinnertime. Just say, "Hey Google, broadcast: Come upstairs for dinner in 5 minutes." The best part? You can even broadcast from your phone to Google Home with your Assistant. Just say, "Hey Google, broadcast: I'm on my way!"
• Explore with Google Lens We're bringing a preview of Google Lens to Pixel phones. Initially, you'll be able to search for brands, books, music albums, movies, and artwork by tapping the lens icon in Google Photos. More capabilities will be added in the coming weeks, as well as the ability to use Lens with Google Assistant. With the Assistant, you'll get a conversational experience for quick help with what you see, right in the moment.

• Get things done with Pixelbook and Pixelbook Pen On Pixelbook, your Assistant can help you send a quick email, create a new document, or get details about your next calendar event. And with Pixelbook Pen, you can mark up text or images on your screen to learn more or take action. Looking at a photo and wondering where the beautiful mountain scenery is? Circle it and let your Assistant do the rest.
• On the road with Pixel Buds The Pixel Buds are optimized for Google Assistant on Android phones, so you can play music, get notifications, get directions, or set a reminder, all without looking at your phone.
• Control your smart home with Nest With Nest Camera, you can say “Hey Google, show me my TV input” to your Assistant on Google Home and stay up-to-date with what’s happening at home. Next year, with the Familiar Faces feature in Nest Hello, when the doorbell rings and Nest Hello recognizes the person at the door, the Assistant will automatically relay that information to all your Google Home devices in the house. So you can know who’s there as soon as they arrive. That’s what’s new with the Assistant. We’re continuing to make it more useful and more available on new devices, whether you’re at home, on the go, or somewhere in between, and in new languages ​​and countries. With all the improvements built over the past year, the Assistant can help you do more and give you more time to focus on what matters. And we’re excited about what the future holds: with our expertise in natural language understanding, deep learning, computer vision, and context understanding, your Assistant will continue to get better. Over time, we believe the Assistant has the potential to transform how we use technology—not only by helping us understand it better, but also by providing an easy-to-use and intuitive way to interact with it. All you have to do is say “OK Google” to get help from your own personal Google.