Google Home Max has officially launched in the UK. The smart speaker, which we feel is much more clever and better designed than its competitors, has been available in the US and Australia for a while, but finally UK customers have the chance to get their hands on one.
How much will it cost me?
Now, here's the thing: the Google Home Max is now available to buy both in store and online exclusively from the Google Store and John Lewis, but it's coming for the rather high price of £399.
This is a little more expensive than we were expecting, given you've been able to get the same product in the US for $399 for a while now, and apart from Apple most brands aren't matching pounds to dollars any more in international pricing.
That said, you can get the new speaker in chalk and charcoal colouring, so at least you've got some options to meld it into your home decor.
So what’s so special about it?
The Google Home Max is a much larger version of the Google Home - but it’s 20 times louder due to the 4.5 inch high-excursion woofers installed.
Like it’s smaller sibling, the Max also makes use of the Google Assistant AI, which you can use to control your home, answer questions and even set reminders.
In addition, the Google Home Max is the first Google speaker with smart sound - a feature which allows the Max to adapt its audio to you and your environment by adjusting the sound to wherever you place it in a room.
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The Max supports Bluetooth and has an auxiliary port (see, it can be done, Apple), but also works with a wide range of music services such as YouTube Music, Google Play Music, Deezer and Spotify. There’s also the option to listen to old-fashioned radio channels, which will please many.
- Google Home review
- Too big? Too small? Check out the Google Mini or Google Max review
- Or get a screen and speaker with the Google Home Hub
An award-winning games journalist, with seven years of experience in games journalism and a degree in journalism from City University, London, Vic brings experience from IGN, Eurogamer, The Telegraph, VG247, Dot Esports and more to the TechRadar table. You may have even heard her on the radio or speaking on a panel, as she’s previously appeared on BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5, BBC Radio Ulster and more. Not only is Vic passionate about games, but she's appeared on both panels and podcasts to discuss mental health awareness. Make sure to follow her on Twitter for more.