Google has finally brought its much anticipated Home Max speaker to the UK. Part of the company’s second generation of smart speakers launched in October 2017, the Max was previously available only in the US.
The Google Home Max claims to be twenty times more powerful than the original Google Home speaker, doubling down on its smart technology with a lot of extra muscle.
Of course, it still features Google Assistant – the company’s virtual assistant, for voice control and other functions – which includes voice recognition of up to six users for access to personal playlists.
The unit features a pair of 4.5in woofers and 0.7in tweeters inside a polycarbonate chassis.
The Home Max works with key music streaming services, including Spotify, Deezer, Google Play Music and YouTube music – and you can connect sources via Bluetooth or a 3.5mm auxiliary input. Other Chromecast devices are also compatible for stereo pairing and multi-room functionality.
A new feature called Smart Sound can automatically tune the audio to suit your listening environment, while its ability to be positioned horizontally or vertically adds further flexibility.
Google’s senior product manager Mark Spates has expressed his delight at bringing the speaker to the UK: “As a trusty concierge for any party or event, or simply as the centerpiece of your living room at home, Max will deliver on every note and help with any query thanks to the Google Assistant, now only louder and bolder than ever before."
Retailing at £399, the Home Max is available in Chalk or Charcoal finishes at the Google Store or select branches of John Lewis, where you will be able to try it out for yourself.
Read more:
Smart speakers - everything you need to know
21 Google Home tips, tricks and features
Google's smart speaker with display due this year
The best Sonos alternatives for multi-room audio
Samsung announces Galaxy Home smart speaker, Spotify partnership