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Google is making a new smart speaker with better sound to compete with Amazon Echo and Apple's HomePod

By Antonio Villas-Boas
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google home speakers
The current Google Home (pictured above) isn't designed to produce stereo sound. The Google Home Max is said to come with more speakers speakers for stereo sound.  Google

Google is working on a premium version of its Google Home smart speaker called Google Home "Max" that will play music in stereo, according to 9to5Google. 

That means the Google Home Max could come with more built-in speakers than the current model to produce stereo sound.

9to5Google predicts the Google Home Max will come with dual mid-range drivers and a single tweeter, whereas the current Google Home's "high excursion" speaker isn't configured to play stereo music. 

It would seem the Google Home Max is set to compete against Apple's HomePod, which comes with seven tweeters and a high excursion woofer to produce 360-degree sound. Apple's HomePod is set to release in December. It would also likely compete against the new-and-improved Amazon Echo announced this week.

apple homepod interior
Apple's HomePod can produce 360-degree sound.  Apple

It's still not clear how much the Google Home Max will cost compared to the $129 Google Home, Amazon's $99 Echo, or Apple's $349 HomePod. If the Google Home Max is, indeed, designed to compete with the HomePod, we can expect the Max to come with a similar asking price as the HomePod. 

Google is hosting an event on October 4 for its new Pixel 2 smartphones, but it's also unclear whether the Google Home Max will make an appearance during the event. 

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Antonio Villas Boas
Antonio Villas-Boas
Antonio Villas-Boas was a consumer tech expert with over a decade of experience testing and reviewing smartphones, tablets, computers, smartwatches, and phone carriers.ExperienceAntonio joined the Business Insider team in 2015 as a tech reporter on the news desk and moved to the service journalism team in 2020. During his time as Business Insider’s senior tech reporter, Antonio developed industry-leading battery-life tests for smartphones and tablets, and covered and reviewed hundreds (if not thousands) of products from major brands like Apple, Google, Samsung, and OnePlus since as far back as Samsung’s Galaxy S6, the original Apple Watch, and the very first Google Pixel. This decade-plus of experience has given him tremendous insights into what consumer tech truly stands the test of time and what will be irrelevant in just a few years' time (RIP The Pebble).Antonio is also an experienced deal hunter, surfacing the best discounts on phones, laptops, and smartwatches for readers during sale events like Prime Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. Previously, Antonio was a consumer-electronics analyst at PCMag and ran his own blog. Why you can trust AntonioAntonio approaches all his reviews not only as a tech expert but as a consumer himself. He reads every word of fine print in the phone carrier plans he reviews, and is deeply skeptical of deals that promise you the latest iPhone model for free. (Spoiler: it might be “free,” but you could be stuck with it for three years.)He largely recommends less expensive and small-scale fixes to upgrade your existing tech before considering buying the latest and flashiest in new tech. Antonio believes his role as the go-to “tech guy” for his family and friends extends to his readers as well; he only recommends products that have stood up to the testing process.Scripps News, NewsNation, Fox 5 DC, NBC LX, and Rich DeMuro’s “Rich On Tech” radio show have requested his commentary and expertise. ExpertiseHis expertise includes:
  • Phones, including the iPhone, Google Pixel, and Samsung Galaxy models
  • Phone accessories, including charging cables, phone cases, and protection plans
  • Smartwatches, including the Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch, Pixel Watch
  • Mobile carrier plans, including major carriers and MVNOs
  • Tablets, including iPads and Galaxy Tabs
  • Laptops and computers, including MacBooks and Windows models
  • Computer accessories, including mice, keyboards, and monitors
EducationAntonio graduated from Colgate University in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in history.Outside of workBesides testing tech products, Antonio is also a full time dad to two young kids. His ideal day would be spent on a lake in the Adirondacks.Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here.Learn more about how we test tech and electronics.
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