We all love the holiday season. It often signals the winding down of a particular period in the year, and arriving at the end of the year tends to throw us into a pensive mood as we reflect on what has passed, things that have happened, situations where we could have reacted differently if given a chance, among others. Of course, it is always nice to have someone remember you through gift giving -- and consumer electronics is one particular area where there are tons of items in which you can choose from. The gift catalogues when it comes to consumer electronics are basically inexhaustible with new products being introduced all the time. Google’s new Wi-Fi router might be on the wishlist of some of your family and friends, who knows?

First revealed at the massive October 4 event earlier this year, this is a Google-branded product that will join the likes of other Google-branded devices. Among them include the Google Pixel, Google Pixel XL, Google Home, Daydream VR, and the Chromecast Ultra, and the Google Wi-Fi is here to “complete” the family for the moment in the form of a mesh router system.

You will be able to make early preparations for this coming gift giving season if you know of someone (or even yourself) who would like to pick up the Google Wi-Fi. Pre-orders for the Google Wi-Fi are now open if you decide to drop by the Google Store, although you can also opt to place a pre-order for the Google Wi-Fi at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy too if you so desire. The shipping date for the Google Wi-Fi has been slated to fall on December 5 or December 6, depending on which particular party you placed your pre-order with. This marks the very first time that a concrete launch date has been mentioned, which is a good thing for us consumers since we would not be left high and dry wondering whether there is a Google Wi-Fi router coming our way or not.

This is not the first time that Google decided to make the foray into the router business. They first entertained such an idea with the Google OnHub, their maiden router with their own brand, and it did not manage to capture the imagination of the masses. Perhaps the Google Wi-Fi would change the viewpoint of many with a reboot of the idea. Sometimes, the world is not prepared for a particular idea and it is just a matter of the right timing to make it a hit.

Of course, it is not just the same thing packaged differently, as the Google Wi-Fi router would not longer offer the promise of smart home functionality, but rather, target the mesh Wi-Fi system that should find a place in just about every modern home. For instance, you can pick up a bunch of Google Wi-Fi routers for your home and office, placing them in strategic locations to get rid of the dreaded “dead zone”. Best of all is, you can control everything through a smartphone app. While picking up a solitary Google Wi-Fi router would set you back by $129, you would do better to save close to $90 with a three-pack for $299.