Google’s Gemini is poised to take root in your home this fall, from a new Gemini-powered smart speaker to a series of refreshed Nest Cams. But first, Gemini is eyeing a staple of the living room: your TV.
Google has already teased Gemini’s imminent arrival on smart TV sets, and today it’s official: You can now chat with Gemini on the big screen, starting with select TCL TVs.
Specifically, TCLs Google TV-powered QM9K Mini-LED TVs are getting Gemini access starting today. Looking forward, Gemini is slated to land on the Google TV Streamer, the Walmart Onn 4K Pro, Hisense’s latest U7, U8, and UX models, and 2025 TCL QM7K, QM8K, and X11K models “later this year,” with more to come.
You’ll be able to summon Gemini on a supported Google TV device by saying “Hey Google” or pressing the microphone button on the Google TV remote, same as when you wanted to call up Google Assistant.
But while Assistant was limited to basic search, playback, and navigational commands, Gemini will allow for “free-flowing conversations,” Google promises.
For example, you’ll be able to give Gemini commands like, “Find me something to watch with my wife; I like dramas, but she likes lighthearted comedies,” according to Google.
Other possibilities include queries such as “What happened in the last season of Outlander,” or “What’s the new hospital drama everyone’s talking about?” For any suggestions served up by Gemini (such as The Pitt for the latter question), you’ll be able to ask follow-up queries (“Did it get good reviews?”).
Google is also positioning Gemini on Google TV as more than just a streaming recommendation companion. Aside from “what to watch” questions, you’ll be able to ask a Gemini-enabled TV to help with a number of wide-ranging tasks. “Explain why volcanoes erupt to my third grader” is one example that Google suggests, along with “How do I learn guitar as a beginner?” or “What’s a dessert I can make in less than an hour?”
Gemini on Google TV follows Amazon’s AI efforts on its various Fire TV models. Amazon rolled out AI-powered search for Fire TV sets nearly a year ago, and before that, it delivered the ability for select Fire TV models to create AI-generated wallpapers.
Gemini’s arrival on Google TV devices is just the first in a series of Gemini-at-home announcements we’re expecting in the coming days.
On October 1, Google is slated to unveil its revamped Google Home lineup, including (most likely) a new Gemini-powered smart speaker and three new Nest cams.
The smart speaker, said to be called the “Google Home Speaker,” was previously teased by Google during its Pixel event last month. The speaker is rumored to double as a Matter hub and may also be capable of pairing with the Google TV Streamer.
Meanwhile, new indoor and outdoor Nest Cams and a refreshed Nest Doorbell are rumored to be on tap, with all three new cameras expected to boast 2K video resolution (up from 1080p) along with “zoom and crop” capabilities, expanded three-hour video previews, and an hour of local video storage, along with other Gemini-infused features.
