Google Nest Hub Max: Google smart home display with nest camera

10" HD smart display to Google's products

In the smart home segment, Google for a long time relied only on its three smart speakers Google Home, Google Home Mini and Google Home Max, while Amazon has been offering smart displays for some time with Echo Show (since 2017) and Echo Spot (since early 2018).

Only at the end of 2018 did the search engine giant announce the Google Home Hub, a smart home device with display, in order to meet the trend towards the visualization of content. Although this is currently only available in very few countries and will not be available in Germany until 28 May 2019, an even more comprehensive version will soon be available on the market. According to the googlewatchblog, both have in common the open ecosystem, which makes cooperation with other partners such as Lenovo possible in the first place.

According to Google in a Nest Hub Max blog entry, the Smart Speaker has a 10-inch HD smart display, stereo speakers and, unlike the 7-inch Google Home Hub, an integrated smart Nest camera. Nest Hub Max can also be used as a digital picture frame for Google photos.

More security and communication

With the camera integrated in the display, Nest Hub Max could, for example, detect movements and send its owner a corresponding push message if someone unauthorized gains access during his absence. In addition, via nest camera video calls via Google Duo are conceivable. The somewhat smaller Google Home Hub, on the other hand, does not have a camera, so you can only make voice calls with it.

What is compatible with the Google Nest Hub Max Display?

1. Google Assistant and above many Google compatible devices

2. Nest App

Advantages of Google Nest Hub Max

1. Can be used as kitchen TV (streams e.g. YouTube TV)

2. Suitable for video telephony

3. Face recognition facilitates individual use by different people (e.g. in the morning for each the appropriate traffic data for his route)

Disadvantages of Google Nest Hub Max

1. Choice of compatible devices even less than Amazon's Alexa

2. Not yet available in Germany

Prices and availability: Nest Hub Max Google Display

According to Google, however, it will be available in the USA from summer 2019 for 229 US dollars.

At least the Google Nest Hub (without camera) can be pre-ordered on the German Google Nest Hub product page of the manufacturer already for 129 Euro.

Specifications of Google Nest Hub Max

Display: 10 inch LCD display with 1,280 x 800@150ppi resolution

Processor: Amlogic T931 SoC

Memory: 2 GB RAM

Front camera: 12 MP Sony IMX277

Loudspeaker: Stereo