After a successful first version of the Nest Hub, Google is back with the second generation of its smart display, which focuses on essential functions while having new functions around sleep thanks to its Soli sensor. Here is the full text of the Google Nest Hub 2.
| PROS | CONS |
Design
Google announces a new version of the Nest Hub. For this second iteration or second generation of the connected screen, it’s a broadly similar appearance with still a 7-inch LCD touchscreen (1024 x 600 pixels) and still without a camera. The screen’s tactile response is just excellent.
Let us add that this screen with wide white borders, like those of the first Nest Hub, rests on a base covered with gray fabric, like the other products in the series. The Nest Audio or the Nest Mini are also dressed in it, and we must admit that it is as pretty as it comes in handy. It is beautiful and compact, and it will harmonize wonderfully with your decor with its choice of trendy color. With its simple design and understated colors, Nest Hub fits into any room in the house. The screen’s brightness adapts to the ambient lighting in the room so that it is neither too bright nor too dim. This product is also designed with respect for the environment: the case is made of 54% recycled plastic.
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On top of the screen is a physical button to mute Google Assistant, as well as three far-field microphones that listen to your voice. On the back of the screen, to the right, is a switch to adjust the volume. However, unlike Amazon’s rival, the Echo Show 8, the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) doesn’t have a headphone jack for private listening or a USB port for charging other devices. You can also deactivate the microphone at any time using the button provided for this purpose. You can also easily clear Google Assistant history if you want.
Setting up the second-generation Google Nest hub is easy, especially if you already have Google-connected or compatible objects at home; you should be familiar with the process, which only takes a few minutes.
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For installation, open the Home app and add a new device. It is then necessary to follow the various steps and, in particular, to accept the sleep monitoring by authorizing access to the data necessary for this use. It is effortless. Then add the Nest Hub to ‘New devices’ using the onscreen QR Code. You will then finish the path proposed by the application.
At the end of the configuration, the screen displays several thumbnails corresponding to as many possibilities of interaction with the device to control the connected objects present in the house, consult multimedia contents, communicate with your contacts, and see the planned programs. For future half-days, etc.
Key Features
| Google Nest Hub 2 | |
| $ | CHECK PRICE |
| Brand | |
| Model | Nest Hub 2 |
| Processor | 1.9 GHz ARM Quad-Core |
| Screen Size | 7.0″ / 17.8Â cm |
| Touchscreen | Yes |
| Screen Resolution | 1024 x 600 |
| Speaker Drivers | 1 x 1.7″ / 43.5 mm Full-Range |
| Microphone | 3 |
| Dimension | 7 x 4.7 x 2.7″ / 177.4 x 120.4 x 69.5Â mm |
| Weight | 19.7Â oz / 558Â g |
| OS Compatibility | Android, iOS |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth: 5.0 LE Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz Chromecast built-in |
| Port | Micro-USB |
| Availability | Available |
Features
Many features of Nest Hub can be controlled with gesture controls. For example, you can start or pause playing a song or video, snooze an alarm, or stop a timer. Gesture controls use Motion Sense to detect your hand movements without a camera.
In terms of the software part, Google offers its own in-house OS inside its smart display. Indeed, here, it results in a few things ergonomic, fluid, and pleasant to use. The menus are really accessible and easy to use. In addition, it is also possible to put the product into action via Google Assistant, which remains the best assistant in terms of quality of understanding.
The sleep tracking feature uses movement and sound to analyze your sleep.
A change that immediately attracts attention is in the sensors with the presence of a Soli sensor. As a reminder, this is a miniaturized radar sensor with short-range and low energy consumption. For the Nest Hub 2, the Soli sensor is used to detect movement and breathing with Motion Sense and monitor the quality of sleep of the person closest to the screen. This gives pretty good results, although it is not precise down to the minute. However, after 1 year of use, you will need to purchase a subscription to use sleep tracking on the smart display.
With the Sunrise Alarm, you can wake up gently by gradually lighting up the Nest Hub screen and increasing the alarm volume. An evening routine helps you relax easily, fall asleep with soothing sounds, turn off lights, lock doors, set alarms, and check your morning schedule.
You can watch YouTube, Netflix, and Disney + right on the connected display, and with the Chromecast built-in, you can stream other video services to Google’s Nest Hub as well. It might not be the sharpest screen – and it sure will never replace your main screen – but the quality is good if you want the videos to run in the background while you do something else.
The Google Assistant
Google Assistant is built into the Google Nest Hub (2nd generation) and can do everything it does on other Google Nest devices. It can set timers, answer questions, provide today’s information, weather, and sports scores, all while showing additional information on the screen. Google Assistant can also help you stay in touch. In short, the Google Assistant, perfect and with a screen for interaction.
Sound Quality
Google is touting a new 43mm diameter speaker that uses the same technology as Nest Audio and provides 50% more bass than the original Nest Hub model. A third micro and machine learning chip has been added.
What does it give? Much nicer sound, clearer, with more bass. Indeed, the Nest Hub 2 benefits from a quite different sound from the Nest Hub 1, even though the latter was very average in terms of sound quality. The next-gen speaker offers 50% more bass than the original Nest Hub model.
Here, Google places its product as a real speaker for the living room, kitchen, and bedroom. It is mighty for a device of this size and astonishes by its dynamism. The audio rendering is clear even if we cannot really consider this device as a real speaker as such since the product is fixed. In our opinion, she does the job perfectly on the content that we could submit to her, whether it be videos or music.
Conclusion!
It must be said, it is really difficult to find fault with the Google Nest Hub 2. It remains really flexible, suitable for several types of use, all for less than 117 USD. We are here really on the excellence of smart display, of which Google is king. The 2nd generation Nest Hub is on sale for $ 99.99. It is available in Pebble and Charcoal colors.
