Skip to main content

Google rewards One subscribers with a free Google Home Mini

Image used with permission by copyright holder

American subscribers to Google’s One cloud storage subscription service are getting a bonus this month. Select One subscribers are eligible to get a free Google Home Mini from the company in the next couple of weeks. Google will even cover the shipping to get its nimble smart speaker into your home.

But it’s not just anybody off the street who gets a free Google Home Mini. For some reason, the tech giant is only targeting subscribers to its One service with plans over 2TB, rewarding those cloud storage users who are paying $10 or more per month. The economics of the deal seem pretty good for Google, which is basically rewarding people who pay $120 annually for cloud storage with a smart speaker that currently retails for around $40 at the Google Store, and seems to be perpetually discounted at other retailers.

Aside from being a subscriber in a specific tier, there are a couple of other barriers to entry. First, the deal for a free Google Home Mini is only available to One subscribers in the United States so places like Asia or the European Union aren’t eligible.

Secondly, the deal for a free Google Home Mini is only available to One subscribers who bought a 2TB storage plan before March 4. So anyone who just thought to subscribe now is out of luck.

According to people who have parsed the legalese in the terms section, the offer looks to be valid until April 21 for U.S. users who activated their selected plan before March 4. Paid One members should already be getting emails from Google informing them of this month’s bonus prize for being good members of the club. However, if you happened not to get an email  with a link to the freebie sign-up sheet, you can still head over to the Google One website and look for a card that says, “Claim Your Google Home Mini — on us.”

It’s not the first time a company has used a free smart speaker as a marketing device — services like eBay and Spotify have regularly used the Google Home Mini as a carrot to lure in new subscribers — but for Google, it looks to be a way to expand the reach of its smart speaker business and get into good graces with customers.

Editors' Recommendations

Clayton Moore
Clayton Moore’s interest in technology is deeply rooted in the work of writers like Warren Ellis, Cory Doctorow and Neal…
The new Google Home app officially launches on May 11
Several images of the new Google Home app on a tan background.

After a lengthy public preview, the new Google Home app is officially launching on May 11. The redesign boasts a few highly requested features, along with a fresh UI that makes it easy to navigate even the most cluttered of smart homes.

Announced during Google I/O, the new Google Home app features five tabs -- Favorites, Devices, Automations, Activity, and Settings. Upon launching the app, you’ll be greeted by the Favorites tab, where you’ll find a list of your most-used gadgets. Devices are also automatically placed into categories such as Lighting and Cameras so you can quickly bounce between menus without any fuss.

Read more
Google Home adds support for garage door controls
Google Home icon on home screen.

Google Home gives you access to a wide variety of smart home devices, and garage doors have now joined the party. Support for smart garage controllers is rolling out to select users -- although it only appears to be available to folks previewing the new Google Home app and does not yet have an official release date.

Still, seeing the product category added to any version of Google Home is great news for smart home enthusiasts. Google Home is one of the most widely used smart home platforms on the market, and as smart garages continue to gain traction, it’s nice to see their inclusion in the app (even if they’re still not as popular as smart thermostats or video doorbells).

Read more
Your Google smart home devices just got a lot less talkative
A person standing in a living room while looking at a Google device.

Smart assistants are an indispensable part of any smart home, making it easy to give hands-free commands and control a variety of gadgets. Google is looking to further streamline the performance of its smart assistant, with the expansion of chime alerts to cut down on how talkative your Google Nest gadgets are when responding to instructions.

For example, after asking Google to turn on a fan, you’ll now be able to hear a quick chime to confirm the assistant has heard your instructions. Previously, confirmation would come in the form of a short sentence, such as “OK, turning on your fan.”

Read more