Google Home is Google’s answer to the Amazon Echo

We’ve been waiting for Google’s answer to the popular Amazon Echo for a long time. The idea of Google Now in an always-listening device has been a dream, but now it’s becoming a reality. Google has just announced Google Home, a voice-enabled assistant for your home. Like the Echo, it can answer questions and perform basic tasks.

Google Home allows you to listen to music, manage tasks, and of course ask Google about anything. The best part about Google Home is that it works conversationally. It’s like talking to an actual assistant. Google Home also acts like a Chomecast, which allows you to play audio wireless from your phone. Google Home also works with many home automation systems, including Nest.

The actual hardware is a cylindrical speaker with a button and LEDs. It can be customized with several different options to fit your home. The hub is small enough to fit in your hand, not nearly as tall as the Amazon Echo. This is the device we’ve been begging Google to make. It will be available later this year. Price was not announced.