Google announced a successor to its widely popular Google Home Mini smart speaker late last year in October. While the new smart speaker is virtually identical to the Home Mini, Google launched it under its Nest brand of smart home products and called it the Nest Mini. Now, according to a recent report from 9to5Google, the company is preparing to launch a successor to the original Google Home, which will also be launched as part of the Nest brand.

The report cites sources familiar with the matter, who have revealed that the upcoming Google Nest smart speaker will look "unassuming and familiar", with a fabric-based design similar to that of the Nest Mini, Nest Hub, and the Google Home Max. The device, which goes by the codename 'prince', doesn't include a display and will feature speaker drivers larger than the ones in the original Google Home. In effect, this would put the audio capabilities of the upcoming device somewhere between the Google Home and the Google Home Max.

Much like other smart speakers in Google's lineup, the new Google Nest speaker will be powered by the Google Assitant. However, we're not aware of any unique software capabilities that the device may offer. As of now, the sources have revealed no further information regarding the upcoming smart speaker, its final marketing name, or the expected launch date. Along with the new smart speaker, Google is expected to launch the Pixel 4a, a mid-range Pixel 5, and an Android TV dongle this year.

Source: 9to5Google