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The speakers, which are located beneath the display screen, provide full stereo sound with two 18mm 10-watt tweeters and a 75mm 30-watt woofer. Crank it up and you'll have no problem filling a room with high-quality audio. To adjust the volume, you can say things like, “OK Google, put the volume on 7,” or “Hey Google, turn the volume down.” The physical volume controls are located on the back-right side of the Hub Max. Measuring 7 inches tall and 10 inches wide, the smart display takes up minimal space on my kitchen counter, but may be too large for a living room side table or bedroom nightstand. PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering lab-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services.

The second generation also got an upgrade with what Google calls Sleep Sensing that will keep track of sleep metrics such as your sleep schedule, duration and quality of sleep. It's worth noting that this doesn't have a camera which is better for those that want more privacy, but if you want to make video calls, you should consider the Google Nest Hub Max instead. As most smart speakers and displays should, the Google Nest Hub 2 features a physical microphone switch on the back, so you can disable its microphones when you don’t want your assistant listening. However, you’ll need the microphone on if you want to use Google Assistant, as well as if you want to take full advantage of the device’s sleep sensing abilities. This device can also act as a central hub to control other smart devices like smart lights, televisions, locking doors or changing the thermostat, all of which can be done on-screen or with voice control.
Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen) Review
Nest says to avoid changing the angle of the display once you have it set up to allow for consistent results. With all of the normal functionality of a smart display like the Nest Hub, with aggressive pricing. I still prefer controlling connected devices with my voice, but the panel provides a handy visual reference.

Unlike most of the other smart displays, the Nest Hub doesn't have a camera, which might be a negative for some, but privacy-minded folks will appreciate its absence. Otherwise, it offers all the same features as the other smart displays for a reasonable price. The Google Nest Hub is a cute, useful gadget, and an even better value now than it was when it debuted. The Google Nest Hub Max is definitely worth it, as we think it’s one of the best smart displays on the market.
The Google Home Hub is smaller than you think it will be.
Turn off the lights or move the Hub and the sensor adapts the picture quickly. In a darkened room, other displays blare light such that they look like a glowing billboard. You can always swipe right on the screen to go back a page, or swipe up for quick settings like volume and brightness. You can't download apps or browse the web as you could on an ordinary tablet, but all of the content of the Google Nest Hub is meant to be visible from across the room.
With Google Home Hub’s home screen, you can turn off the lights, lock the doors, monitor CCTV cameras, and control the TVs around your home. Other than being compatible with Google products like the Google Smart Lock, the Hub works well with other smart home products such as the Nest Thermostats, and Nest Security Camera. It provides you with the ultimate control over your surroundings and safety. It is compatible with over 5,000 smart home devices across popular brands including Lenovo, Philips, Schlage, Kwikset, and more. I’ve only used the Home Hub with other Google devices so far, such as the Chromecast and Chromecast Audio (we’ll be using it with smart lights and cameras soon), but it’s already obvious that it will make life much easier. It’s also helpful not having to remember the exact name of all of your smart devices.
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I appreciate that, but the Echo Show 5 has a privacy slider that should alleviate those concerns for most, and would be nice to see here. If you ask "how much tomato sauce?" Google will understand that you're referring to the recipe and will give the appropriate answer. You can also multitask while you cook and watch videos, play music, set a timer or add something to your shopping list.

The device will automatically eliminate ones that are blurry or are of things like receipts. The best feature of the Google Home Hub, hands down, is the ability to use it as a digital photo frame. As far as the Google Nest Hub Max goes, Google won’t automatically store your conversations with Google Assistant unless you give the Hub Max permission to do so. You can opt-in to Voice and Audio Activity when setting up your Hub Max, or any Google Assistant speaker or display.
Hands smeared with butter, flour spraying out of the bowl, I gushed about my electric mixer for a good 10 minutes in a live demo for an audience of two. More specifically, I was trying to convince my close friends I gathered to bake with last weekend that I wasn't crazy for bringing my own electric beaters (and apron, and baking sheets...) to someone else's house. So I launched into a passionate show-and-tell about why my electric beaters are superior to theirs.
This all-in-one powerhouse is space-saving and it’s portable to be placed anywhere at your convenience. Indeed, this smart assistant is easy to install and fit in numerous areas of your home. You can choose from four different colors — Aqua, Chalk, Charcoal, and Sand. The Home Hub doesn’t feel like quite the finished article yet, but then nor do the company’s other Home-branded smart speakers.
Once it's set up, if the Hub moves and Sleep Sensing stops working, you can recalibrate it, but I have never had to do that, even though I moved the display several times. When I move it back to the nightstand, I just place it in roughly the same spot it was in before, and it works fine. Next, the app asks if you want to enable Sleep Sensing, track sound events like coughing and snoring, and get personalized sleep suggestions.

Then, if you tell the Nest Hub to use pictures of your kids in ambient mode, you can keep taking shots and Google Assistant will automatically add new ones to the mix. It filtered out the bad ones where the subject was out of focus or not properly framed, and showed the rest on the Hub. Plug it in and set it up on your Wi-Fi using the Google Home app, then, thanks to the built-in Google Assistant, you can ask Google Nest Hub any question you'd ask the original Google Home. They’re clear, fun and functional, and do nothing but add solid functionality to what could’ve been a generic ‘me too’ product. The latter two can be streamed to the Google Home Hub via a live feed while the former can be controlled either via voice or the UI on the Hub itself. If you haven’t yet bought any smart home products and are leaning towards the Made by Google ecosystem, give them some serious consideration.
” will trigger the Hub to remind you of your schedules, appointments, activities, and to-dos for the day. Also, it will read out your morning commute, today’s weather, and the daily news. Bar a few small gripes with the way its software works – it seems impossible to clear recipes and videos you’re finished with manually, for example – my overall experience with the Home Hub has been overwhelmingly positive. Where you’d ordinarily need to know what you want to listen to and instruct your Google Home speaker accordingly, the Home Hub’s offers the luxury of recommendations. Say “OK Google, open Spotify”, for example, and it shows a number of albums and playlists based on your recent listening.