Google has discontinued the Google Home Max, its high-end smart speaker.
The smart speaker is currently out of stock in the Canadian Google Store. In a statement to several publications, Google said the following:
“Existing Google Home Max users shouldn’t worry as they won’t see any change in their service. We’ll continue to offer software updates and security fixes to Google Home Max devices. We’re committed to delivering great sound and whole home audio features across all of our Assistant-enabled products.”
This means that despite Google no longer selling the Home Max, the company will continue to support it.
While the Google Home Max launched in the U.S. in December 2017, it didn’t make its way to Canada until May 2018. In my review of the smart speaker, I praised its sleek look, excellent sound quality and ‘smart sound’ that automatically adjusts to a room’s acoustics.
On the negative side, when it was first released the Home Max cost an expensive $500 in Canada before eventually dropping to $399. It’s also absolutely massive, especially when compared to more recently released smart speakers.
Given that Google has shifted its entire smart speaker lineup to feature Nest branding, it’s possible a successor to the Google Home Max could arrive soon.
We may never see a new version of the Home Max given that the $129 Nest Audio, the company’s most recently released smart speaker, offers comparable sound quality for a much lower price.
