A plain-English guide to AI in 2026, including top chatbots, free AI tools, humanoid robots, key terms, and what comes next.

Good things take time, but not all things that take time are good. The jury is still out on the Google Home Speaker, but it certainly took a while to arrive. After announcing its new speaker last August, Google finally has a release date. The company's first new smart home speaker in years will launch on June 25, and you can preorder it today for $100.

The generically named Google Home Speaker is Google's first home audio device in almost six years. The last one was the Nest Audio, which debuted back in September 2020. The new device is small and round—an oblate spheroid, technically. It's covered in a partially recycled fabric available in four colors: hazel, porcelain, jade, and berry (jade and berry are limited to the US). Google says the device produces "360-degree sound" for a uniform listening experience anywhere in a room.

Google is into lighting effects again. Credit: Google

Previous Google speakers included Assistant-style illuminated lights, but the Google Home Speaker features a light ring around the bottom that glows when the device is listening, "thinking," or responding. This is becoming a trend with Google. The company will require a similar glowing lightbar embellishment on the upcoming Googlebook laptops. There are three far-field microphones distributed around the speaker that will pick up your speech, and there's a mute switch when you don't want it listening for the "OK Google" trigger.

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Google is betting generative AI can breathe new life into the smart speaker. The company's new $99.99 Google Home Speaker replaces the rigid commands of the Google Assistant era with more conversational Gemini interactions.

Good things take time, but not all things that take time are good. The jury is still out on the Google Home Speaker, but it certainly took a while to arrive. After announcing its new speaker last August, Google finally has a release date. The company's first new smart home speaker in years will launch on June 25, and you can preorder it today for $100.

The generically named Google Home Speaker is Google's first home audio device in almost six years. The last one was the Nest Audio, which debuted back in September 2020. The new device is small and round—an oblate spheroid, technically. It's covered in a partially recycled fabric available in four colors: hazel, porcelain, jade, and berry (jade and berry are limited to the US). Google says the device produces "360-degree sound" for a uniform listening experience anywhere in a room.

Google is into lighting effects again. Credit: Google

Previous Google speakers included Assistant-style illuminated lights, but the Google Home Speaker features a light ring around the bottom that glows when the device is listening, "thinking," or responding. This is becoming a trend with Google. The company will require a similar glowing lightbar embellishment on the upcoming Googlebook laptops. There are three far-field microphones distributed around the speaker that will pick up your speech, and there's a mute switch when you don't want it listening for the "OK Google" trigger.

Read full article

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© Google

Upgrades include 360-degree audio and deeper integration with Google's Gemini.

Google started rolling out Android 17 on its Pixel devices, though some of its headline AI features will not arrive for another few months.

The initial version of Android 17 became available yesterday (16 June) on its devices, with other hardware brands to follow throughout 2026.

A new feature available in the launch is Bubbles, a multitasking tool which lets users collapse any app into a floating window which stays visible on screen, Google stated in a blog post.

Bubbles can be stacked, dragged to position and resized as required. On large-screen and foldable devices, bubbles are docked in a dedicated bar at the bottom of the display.

Google positions the feature as useful for referencing maps, writing notes during a call or keeping texts visible without opening the app switcher.

Screen recording has been updated with a new toolbar and feature called Screen Reactions, which lets users record themselves via the selfie camera while simultaneously capturing what’s on their phone screens.

Bloomberg reported the tool is Google’s response to the growing popularity of reaction-style video across social media, building the format directly into Android to reduce reliance on third-party apps such as CapCut and Instagram Edits.

For foldable device owners, Android 17 introduces a dedicated gaming mode with an optimised 50/50 layout placing a game view on top and a dynamic gamepad below.

Google has also reduced frame drops and improved memory cleanup for high-definition gaming, with native controller remapping available for external controllers.

Security
On the security and privacy front, users can now grant apps one-time location access rather than making a permanent decision and share only specific contacts rather than their full address book.

Lost Mode has been tightened to require biometric authentication alongside a PIN, making it harder for thieves to access a missing device even if they know the passcode.

Live Threat Detection has also been improved to block a greater range of suspicious apps and scams, and enhanced Advanced Protection mode helps keep users safe from sophisticated threats.

To stop bad actors trying to guess their way into users’ phones, Google reduced the number of times someone can guess a PIN and added longer wait times between failed attempts.

Many of Android 17’s more advanced features will follow later this year. Gemini Intelligence, redesigned emoji, smarter voice dictation and vibe-coded widgets will arrive soon, coming first to the Pixel 11 series and upcoming Samsung devices.

Google is also updating Wear OS 7 with longer battery life, better interoperability with connected devices including smart glasses, and Gemini Intelligence features including multi-step app automations.

The Android updates came a week after Apple unveiled a long list of AI and Siri improvements due in the coming months, highlighting the intensifying rivalry between the two mobile platforms.

The post Google launches Android 17 with multitasking, security upgrades appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Android 17 Reaches Pixel Google started pushing Android 17 to Pixel phones today, and the update arrives alongside