2nd Generation Nest Hub – Similar Look, Brand New Features

We’ve been rocking the Google Nest Hub in our kitchen for well over a year now, just recently replacing it with a Nest Hub Max unit. We’ve since moved the original Nest Hub into our bedroom, but the new announcement of a second generation device from Google is making us think it’s time for an upgrade, with a bunch of new features that are sure to be impressive if they work as intended.

You’d probably be forgiven if you can’t initially see the difference between the Nest Hub and the 2nd Generation Nest Hub. In terms of the look and aesthetic, they are nearly identical. A lot of what has changed is internally, beginning with a revamped speaker that is more like the Nest Audio, and less like the underwhelming speaker in the original Nest Hub. I love my Nest Audio speakers, and the sound they produce, and if this second generation device can match that, this will quickly become a main-stay in my Google Home house setup!

Remember the motion feature that was added to the Google Pixel 4 and the Google Pixel 4 XL? How you could make gestures over the screen to perform simple functions? That technology has moved over to the new and improved Nest Hub, allowing Google to analyze the sleep patterns of whomever is sleeping closest to the device. It will detect your movement, and much like wearables, make notes on your movements, restful periods, and more. As someone that loves to track their sleeping habits – for no real reason…. – this would actually be a feature I would use, although I do have questions about how accurate it might be (or not be).

The device will also (with microphone enabled) track your snoring patters and volume. Finally time to prove to my wife I don’t snore at night, right?

Privacy remains an important part of Google’s mantra, and therefore you won’t find a camera buried in the Nest Hub. As this will be heavily marketed as a bedroom device, this is a strong move by Google, and one that will provide peace of mind to those purchasing and using the device.

The new Google Nest Hub will launch on March 30th, and is available to preorder now.