ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.

When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.

ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.

The Google Home Speaker was officially released as the company's latest take on a smart speaker, its first in six years. I've been testing the Google Home Speaker for nearly 48 hours, and I've got some interesting first impressions.

Also: This tablet replaced both my iPad and Kindle, and it's 40% off on Amazon right now

With 360-degree audio, the Google Home Speaker offers a new audio experience compared to the Nest Audio and Nest Mini, both of which feature front-facing sound. The new experience, however, doesn't necessarily mean it will be obviously better.