The last few months have been pretty notable for Google Home. Late last year, Gemini rolled out to older Google Home speakers, breathing new life into them. Considering the disastrous state the Google Assistant had turned into, this was a huge step forward.But software is only half of the equation. Hardware is equally important, and that’s why the Google Home Speaker is such a big deal. After months of teasing, the Home Speaker finally launched on June 25, making it the first Google smart speaker to hit store shelves in six years.