THE Google Nest Hub 2, Google rumors of replacement for the Google Home Hub, was finally officially confirmed with the 7-inch smart display available for book now and will go on sale on March 31 for $ 99.99 / £ 89 / AU $ 149.
Google Nest Hub 2 can to look similar to its predecessor with a ‘floating screen’ design, but has some useful integrated technology that actually makes it the most advanced Google smart monitor to date – even because it can monitor how well you sleep without requiring you to use a smartwatch or fitness tracker.
We chose some features that we love about the new Google Nest Hub 2, which may be part of our list of the best smart monitors, as well as some that we were disappointed not to see included in Google’s latest smart display.
Sleep tracking
Google Nest Hub 2 comes with integrated Soli radar technology, a technology that is already present in the Google Pixel 4 smartphone and the company’s newest Nest smart thermostat.
Providing the basis for its sleep tracking functionality, the radar is able to detect when you are awake, asleep or out of bed at night, while monitoring your breathing and any coughing or snoring.
The device analyzes this data and provides a daily report that details how you slept and the cause of any interruptions that may have occurred during the night.
Quick gestures
The Soli radar is not only useful for monitoring sleep on the Google Nest Hub. Similar to the way it is used on Pixel smartphones, it also enables the Quick Gestures feature, allowing you to play and pause music and video by moving your hand in front of the 7-inch smart display. This is particularly useful if you are cooking and have greasy fingers, as you can still control the device without having to soil the screen.
Best audio
We found that the sound quality of the original Google Home Hub was lacking when it came to powerful bass, so we are pleased to see that Google has improved audio at Google Nest Hub 2. The technology giant claims that the new smart display offers 50% the lower than its predecessor, and we look forward to testing it. Although the smart display is not your primary way of watching TV, it can be the speaker of your choice for the room in which it is located. If the audio experience is not perfect when listening to music or watching videos, the device may end up languishing in the corner, leaving you disappointed with it.
Thread support
Google included support for the wireless smart home protocol Wire on Google Nest Hub 2. The relatively new technology allows smart home devices from different manufacturers to work together, without the need for a third party service, such as IFTTT, for example, to turn on smart lights if your smart weather center detects it is cloudy boring day. It also uses less energy, so if any of your smart home devices run on battery, they will last longer between charges.
In addition, Google goes further, ensuring that Google Nest Hub 2 can act as a Thread Border router – that means you can still control these smart home devices when you’re not connected to your home Wi-Fi network. So, if you notice that the smart lights are on, but you left the house, you will still be able to turn them off.
Currently, there are only a handful of smart home devices on the market that support Thread, including the Nanoleaf Essential line of smart light and Eve smart plug and connected weather station. However, it is expected that more will be made available in the future.
Sustainable materials
Google also gave Nest Hub 2 some green credentials: the fabric base of the smart display is made from recycled plastic bottles.
It’s like Google Nest Mini 2, the tech giant’s most affordable smart speaker. The fabric is available in four colors: Chalk, Charcoal, Sand and Mist – a soft pastel blue that Google said was designed to give a calming presence in the room.
No camera
The original Google Nest Hub, or Home Hub as it was initially called, had a stark omission – a video call camera. At the time of its launch, Google said it was protecting users’ privacy by not including a camera.
However, the company did add a camera to your larger smart display, the Google Nest Hub Max. So we are disappointed to find that Google did not include a camera in the Google Nest Hub 2.
It is a feature that all rivals Echo Show, Amazon’s rivals, offer and would have been welcomed by those who wish to use the smart monitor for video calls.
Web browser
Currently, none of Google’s smart displays – including the new Google Nest Hub 2 – has a built-in browser, while Amazon’s Echo Show range of smart displays offers the ability to browse the web.
We believe this would have been a useful addition to Google Nest Hub 2: if you want to quickly search for something on the web and you don’t have a smartphone or tablet on hand, you don’t have to stop what you’re doing to locate your device. Unfortunately, Google did not feel the need to include a web browser on this updated device.