Debuting back in 2017, the Google Home Max was a hi-fi alternative to the original Google Home smart speaker, promising better sound but still providing access to Google Assistant. It was big, kind of pricey at $400, and from our testing, not as loud or booming as you’d expect, so Google has done what Google does best and discontinued the product.
According to Engadget, Google has confirmed that the Google Store has officially sold out of its remaining stock of the Home Max, and the company isn’t manufacturing any more units. Existing users of the product won’t be left high and dry, though, as Google also promises it has no plans to discontinue support for the smart speaker any time soon, and will continue to release software updates and security fixes as needed.
Since its release, the Home Max has seen discounts and promotions as Google strived to get its smart speaker products into as many homes as possible, but it was never as affordable or accessible as the smaller Google Home Mini and Nest Mini speakers. If you found a deal you could fill your home with eight or more of Google’s puck-sized smart speakers for what the Home Max cost.
However, the final blow for the Home Max was probably the release of the follow-up to the original Google Home, the Nest Audio smart speaker. At $100 it is still the best-sounding cheap smart speaker you can buy right now. You can fill an entire house with excellent sound for $400, and pair the Nest Audio to other units for a more immersive stereo sound experience. On top of that, the Google Home Max also faced stiff competition from Apple’s HomePod released in early 2018, which was $50 cheaper and provided a more seamless listening experience for iOS users using the Apple Music streaming service.
If you still want one you better get comfortable with eBay and Craigslist.