The Google Home Max speaker, announced at the Pixel 2 event back in October, will go on sale in the United States on December 11, if a retail listing is accurate.
The higher-end version of Google’s Assistant-enabled smart speaker was promised before the end of 2017, but the company hasn’t committed to a release date yet.
However, now a Best Buy placeholder has suggested we’re less than two weeks away from the release (via 9to5Google). The reference to the release date has now been removed.
Related: Pixel 2 vs Pixel 2 XL
The Home and Home Mini counterparts were heavily discounted during the Black Friday sales week, but those seeking top notch audio will be holding out for the Home Max.
It’s the largest Home speaker to date and looks a little like the Sonos Play:3. There’s a white polycarbonate casing and a custom “acoustically transparent” fabric speaker grille that’s available in Chalk or Charcoal.
In terms of the audio, there are two 4.5-inch woofers, 0.7-inch tweeters, an acoustic brace and a range of far-field microphones.
What about HomePod?
Unfortunately, the $399 speaker is going to be a US-exclusive initially. We’ve had no word on when a UK release might be forthcoming.
The pre-Christmas release is Google’s chance to steal a march on Apple’s delayed HomePod speaker.
Cupertino says its Siri-powered alternative won’t be released until early 2018, because it needs more time to perfect it.
Will you be buying a Google Home Max or an Apple HomePod in the next few months? Share your thoughts with us @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
