Google Nest Hub Review

Google Nest Hub

Release: January 1, 1970
Publisher: Google
Developer: Google
Genre: Hardware, Hardware Reviews
PEGI: E
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When my family began introducing Google products into the home, we never imagined we would be where we are today. It began with a humble Google Home Mini a few years ago, but has since expanded to include a few more minis, a Google Home, numerous smart outlets, a Google Pixelbook, and just recently, the Google Nest Hub! Each and every device has made the Google experience at home just a bit more enjoyable, but no new product introduction has been as major as the Google Nest Hub; let’s dive in and see how this has made a great improvement in our Google environment!

The 7-inch Google Nest Hub is large enough to enjoy all your favourite YouTube and picture content while working nearby, and small enough to easily work into your desired environment, whether on your nightstand or in your kitchen. This beautiful device acts like a Google Home, but provides you a screen for more features and more control.

The biggest bonus in our opinion is Google Assistant for visual needs, such as the family calendar, pictures from a vacation, or even what the weather is like. For those who do not own a Google screened device – such as the Google Pixelbook, Google Pixel Slate, or a Google Pixel phone – and have only used the Google Home or Google Home Mini, this will be an even better feature, one that will get a lot of use we believe.

And the features worked so much better than I thought they would. Google Home has been great for determining what the weather will be like in the morning before the kids head off to school, but with the Google Nest Hub, we have the opportunity to check the weather by the hour. The Google Home will audibly let you know the days highs and lows, and whether you might see rain. With the Nest Hub, having the ability to break it down by the hour, and visually see the icons, makes planning for the kids much easier.

Another major feature of the Google Nest Hub has resulted from its placement in the Kitchen, which is the best place to put it should you only purchase one. Last weekend my wife was busy working in the kitchen, mixing eggs and other ingredients so she could serve Martha Stewart pancakes to our hungry kids; unfortunately, mid-work, she forgot part of the recipe, but instead of washing off her hands and searching for her phone, all she had to say was, “Hey Google. Show me the Martha Stewart Fluffy Pancake recipe.” Voila, Google went straight to the internet and pulled up a webpage with the recipe, and even read off the ingredients!

And using the Google Nest Hub is actually that easy. I was skeptical of how well this device would work, and whether or not it would grab the content I really wanted. Time and time again, I was shocked by the accuracy.

“Hey Google. Show me the latest videos from Abdallah Smash on YouTube.” Voila! There was the channel of our families favourite YouTuber, Abdallah, with his latest video front and centre.

Where there a few hiccups when trying to pull content up on the Google Nest Hub? Of course there was, and there will be many more as we work to see what the visual Google Assistant can do, and what the visual Google Assistant cannot do. But the screen isn’t only useful when talking to it; it can do so much more.

During the first week of using the device, I had it on my nightstand for a few nights to see how I would enjoy that experience. While I prefer to have it in the kitchen, my bedroom is the second place I’d love to have one. Whether utilizing the fantastic photo mode to display all our latest family photos, or using it as an alarm clock at night, having it right there was fantastic. And everything is automated, regardless of what room you place it in. Using a sensor on the front of the device, the Hub can adjust the screen to the light in the room, which will alter your pictures and video for the best viewing experience; when all the lights are shut off, the screen dims to almost black, and only displays the current time.

But regardless of where you put your device, you now have the same Google Assistant visual experience from your phone. Which means if you are using smart plugs and switches around your house, these will all be visible on the Google Nest Hub, and can be toggled just like they can when on your phone. This was most useful when using the Hub in my room, but was still beneficial in the kitchen and living room as well. Generally, I’ll stick to making the various changes on my phone, but this is a handy second option.

If your house is already in the Google environment, adding the Google Nest Hub to your system is a must do. For those without any Google products, I would suggest getting this device first, and bypassing the Google Home altogether. Grab a Nest Hub, grab a few Google Mini devices, and get your house setup. This is complete replacement of the Google Home, as it should be. This is the superior product, and one Google should be proud of!

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