X

Google Home coming to Australia, sorry Alexa

We don't know when or even if Amazon's Echo will come Down Under, but Google's Home smart speaker will hit Australia later this year.

Headshot of Daniel Van Boom
Headshot of Daniel Van Boom
Daniel Van Boom Senior Writer
Daniel Van Boom is an award-winning Senior Writer based in Sydney, Australia. Daniel Van Boom covers cryptocurrency, NFTs, culture and global issues. When not writing, Daniel Van Boom practices Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, reads as much as he can, and speaks about himself in the third person.
Expertise Cryptocurrency | Culture | International News
Daniel Van Boom
google-home-product-photos-1.jpg
Enlarge Image
google-home-product-photos-1.jpg
Tyler Lizenby/CNET

's I/O developers conference brought lots of news about the Google Home speaker. It can now make hands-free calls, communicate more with your phone and better integrate streamers like Spotify.

Most exciting for those of us Down Under, though, is the news that is actually coming Down Under.

Home is powered by Google Assistant, the tech giant's AI-powered virtual assistant. In the US, it's the main competition for 's Echo, the retail company's Alexa assistant-integrated smart speaker. Hopefully this will motivate Amazon to hurry along with bringing the Echo to Australia.

tech, which lets you control in your home with your phone, has been taking off in the US, but Australia has been left behind. We're pegged to catch up soon, and Google Home, which among other things acts as a central hub for smart home shenanigans, could kick us in the right direction.

Read more about Google Home in our review from last year.

Solving for XX: The industry seeks to overcome outdated ideas about "women in tech."

Special Reports: All of CNET's most in-depth features in one easy spot.