Google Home Max launches in UK with a hefty price tag

Google is finally bringing the largest and most powerful member of the Home smart speaker family, the Google Home Max, to the U.K… for a whopping 399 pounds.

Starting today (August 30), consumers in the U.K. can grab the Google Assistant-powered beast from Google’s online store or from select John Lewis stores. The Google Home Max originally launched in the U.S. late last December.

Designed to appeal to audiophiles, the Home Max pack dual 4.5-inch high-excursion woofers and two custom 0.7-inch tweeters and is 20 times more powerful than the original Home, according to the search giant.

As well as all the usual Google Assistant and Cast features found on the Home and Home Mini, the Home Max also boasts a unique feature called Smart Sound, which is designed to automatically adjust the audio levels to fit the speaker’s surroundings. You can read more on Smart Sound and how it all works here.

As we noted in our Google Home Max review, the Home’s larger sibling is an impressive piece of hardware and easily the most kitted-out Home device money can buy, but therein lies the rub.

At 399 pounds, the Home Max is three times as expensive as the regular Home (or four times as much in the current sale) and that’s a fairly huge jump in price for a device that offers the same core functionality and AI features.

It’s also more than other premium rivals, including the HomePod which goes for 319 pounds in the U.K. and potentially Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Home which is expected to retail for slightly less than Apple’s smart speaker.

Personally, I’m still really excited to try out the Home Max to see how it compares with the rest of the range, but it’s disappointing (although hardly surprising) to have to spend so much when the U.S. asking price is $399 (~306 pounds).

Will you be picking up a Google Home Max? Be sure to let me know your thoughts on the speaker (and the price) in the comments.

Up next: Google Home vs Mini vs Max – which is best for you?