Google Home launches in the UK on April 6th priced at £129 – The … – The Verge

Google originally launched its Home speaker and assistant back in November in the US, and the search giant is already bringing it to other countries. Today sees the launch of Google Home in the UK, a natural expansion market for an English speaking digital assistant. Google Home will be available online on April 6th for £129 for a single device from the Google Store, or Argos, Dixons, John Lewis, and Maplins. Google is also launching colored bases for customization, these will be available for £18 for fabric and £36 for metal versions.

Like Amazon’s Echo, Home can answer basic queries, and do tasks like timers or control smart home devices. Google’s main advantage over the Echo is its ability to handle contextual conversations. You can ask Google Home “Who is the president of the United States?” and then immediately ask “When was he born?” and Google Assistant will handle the query.

Google says it has “hidden a few British treats” inside Home for the UK, including answering queries about hobbies or favorite foods. It appears the features available in the US version of Google Home will be supported in the UK, including any integrations with smart home devices.

Google Home’s launch in the UK comes exactly six months after Amazon launched its Echo devices in the UK. Amazon started selling the Echo priced at £149.99, with a £50 discount for Amazon Prime members who preordered the device in advance. Google’s £20 discount on the retail price will put it at a price advantage, but the company will now need to prove it has enough integrations to match Amazon’s 10,000 skills.

Google Home launches in the UK on April 6th priced at £129 – The … – The Verge