GOOGLE Nest Hub
We've seen a few Google Assistant smart displays, but until now they've
been third-party devices like the JBL Link View and the Lenovo Smart Display.
Google only recently decided to create its own first-party answer to the
Alexa-powered Amazon Echo Show and Echo Spot, in the
form of the $149 Nest Hub. The Nest Hub looks similar to the $230 Echo Show, but
is much closer in price, size, and sound quality to the $130 Echo Spot. It's a
solid option if you want a simple Google Assistant alarm clock and photo frame
near your bed, but JBL and Lenovo's devices are much better suited to being desk and
counter companions thanks to their larger screens and better audio quality.
Editors' Note: Google recently changed the name of the
Google Home Hub to the Google Nest Hub. We've updated our original Home Hub
review from October 24, 2018 to reflect this change.
A Small, Simple Design
The Nest Hub looks like a scaled-down version
of the Echo Show. It's a 4.8-by-7.1-by-2.7-inch (HWD) device with a 7-inch,
1,024-by-600 touch
screen facing forward, tilted slightly back like an easel and bordered
by a 0.5-inch glossy white frame. The screen is mounted on a stretched-oval
stand covered in gray fabric, evocative of the Google Home and
Amazon's current line of Echo speakers. The stand measures 5.4 by 2.4 inches,
giving it a wider but more shallow footprint than the Amazon Echo Spot. The
relatively small size of the Nest Hub, along with its modest price, makes it
feasible as a nightstand alarm clock.
Two
holes above the screen indicate the Nest Hub's microphones, flanking the small
gray mark of the ambient light sensor. Unlike every other smart display we've
seen so far, the Nest Hub doesn't have a camera for video chat. This is surprising, since the Google Assistant-powered JBL Link View and Lenovo Smart Display have cameras and can use Google Duo for video calls.
A volume rocker sits behind the right edge of the screen, and a mic mute
switch sits behind the top edge. Like the Echo Show, the Nest Hub's speaker is
hidden behind the grille cloth on its base.
As a Google Assistant device, the Nest Hub can do nearly anything the JBL
Link View and Lenovo Smart Display can. Or, from another perspective, it
functions like a
Google version of the Amazon Echo Show. Say, "Hey Google," to
activate the display, then ask a question or give a command. Google Assistant
will answer you to the best of its ability, as long as it's connected to the
internet (both voice recognition and processing commands requires an internet
connection). Supplemental visual
material will be displayed on the screen, and in some cases additional
controls or commands will be available to tap.
By default, the touch screen will show a photo
slideshow from various Google-based sources (and you can show your own Google Photos albums on it, as well).
Swiping up displays a settings bar that lets you adjust the screen brightness
and volume, while
swiping down displays any connected smart home devices for
easy access. Tapping the screen from the slideshow will jump to a
main menu that shows the current weather on the left side of the
screen and useful information like a Google News feed or your Google Calendar
schedule on the right. Swiping right from there will scroll through various
columns of information, including other news feeds, video lists, and suggested
commands. Swiping left from the slideshow will dim the screen and show a clock
against a black background.
Google Assistant can answer questions about
the weather, sports, and general information like unit conversions and word
translations. Thanks to the touch
screen , Google Assistant's answers appear in text as well as through the
speaker, sometimes with accompanying images. Like the Echo Show, it's handy for
finding recipes and displaying ingredient lists and even instructional videos
to go with them, though (also like the Echo Show) it isn't waterproof or
otherwise protected against any gunk that goes flying across your counter.
On the personal side of things, Google
Assistant can provide scheduling information from your Google Calendar (though
G Suite for work accounts is still not supported, strangely enough). Google
Assistant can also place voice calls through the Nest Hub, calling almost any
North American home or business phone number (some numbers, including toll-free
and emergency services, don't work through the Nest Hub).
The Echo Show remains the only smart display
we've tested with a web browser. While Chrome would seem to be an obvious
addition to the Nest Hub, you can't look at websites on it or any Google
Assistant smart display.
Home
Automation
When your devices are set up through Google
Home, they will appear on the Nest Hub when you swipe down on the touch
screen , letting you control them with taps as well as voice commands.
Music and Video
For entertainment, the Nest Hub can play video
and music from YouTube, YouTube TV, YouTube Music, Google Play Movies & TV,
and Google Play Music if you subscribe to or have a digital library on any of
those services. The Nest Hub also supports Crackle, Deezer, HBO Now, Spotify,
Starz, and a small handful of other third-party streaming services with Google
Assistant control.
In addition, the Nest Hub is Google Cast
compatible, so you can stream video or music to it from a smartphone, tablet,
or Chrome tab just as if it had a Google Chromecast connected. This
requires that the app also be Google Cast compatible (and even then not every
app will work), but that's still a much larger list than simply being Google
Assistant. I streamed Pop
Team Epic from Crunchyroll to the Nest Hub without any issue,
but Netflix was unable to detect the display in its own Google Cast menu.
While the Nest Hub's 7-inch screen is below
even 720p resolution (1,024 by 600), it still looks bright, colorful, and crisp
for watching videos. The larger 720p screen on the Echo Show looks better,
though, and the 10-inch Lenovo Smart Display remains the only smart display
we've tested that actually hits 1080p resolution, making it the best of the
bunch for streaming media.
Audio
Performance
If you're looking for a powerful audio
experience on the Nest Hub, you're going to be disappointed. Its music
performance is closer to that of the Echo Spot than the Echo Show or the JBL
Link View. The Nest Hub's speaker is loud enough to hear Google Assistant's
answers from across a small room, but it can't fill a room with compelling
audio.
Our bass test track, The Knife's "Silent
Shout," sounded downright laughable on the Nest Hub at maximum volume,
with the bass synth notes sounding more like bouncing ping pong balls than
anything with the slightest low-frequency response.
Yes' "Roundabout" sounds a bit better, with the sweeping
opening coming through a bit louder and cleaner than "Silent Shout."
The acoustic guitar notes get a bit of clarity, but the performance isn't close
to that of the similarly priced Echo Plus speaker, or the JBL Link
View and its stereo drivers. When the electric bass kicks in, the Nest Hub
again sounds a bit weak and underwhelming.
Underworld's "Bruce Lee" sounds
similarly treble-heavy, with the jangly guitar strums and vocals coming through
prominently, but the rest of the track almost completely lacking any bass
response. It's slightly louder than the Echo Spot, but it doesn't sound much
better than your average clock radio.
A Google-Powered Alarm Clock
The Google Nest Hub might look like the Echo
Show, but it performs more like the Echo Spot. Its relatively low-resolution
7-inch touch screen and weak speaker mean it doesn't come close to the
room-filling power of the Echo Show or the other Google Assistant smart
displays we've tested so far. But at $150, it's $80 to $100 less than any of
those larger devices. It's more capable than the tiny Echo Spot, and its modest
footprint makes it ideal for placing near your bed or on a crowded desk or
shelf.
The JBL Link View is still our preferred Google
Assistant smart display for its far superior stereo speakers and video call
capabilities, while the Alexa-powered Amazon Echo Show is our favorite smart
display in general. But the Google Nest Hub is a capable and economical
alternative for anyone looking for a simple voice assistant that triples as a
capable alarm clock and a Google Photos picture frame.
Google Nest Hub
Bottom Line: The small, affordable Google Assistant-powered Nest Hub smart
display is functional and convenient, but won't impress anyone with its sound
quality.
Thank You!
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