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Google Nest Hub Max hands-on: A bigger, smarter display
I was surprised by how much I liked last year's Google Home Hub. The 7-inch smart display won me over with its beautiful screen and adorable design. It was also popular with other reviewers, who praised its clever Assistant features, affordable price and Photos integration. This year, Google has a bigger, more powerful model: the Nest Hub Max. Unveiled at the company's I/O developer conference today, the Hub Max is a 10-inch display that looks like a stretched-out Home Hub. But there are a few other differences besides the size that make it more useful than the smaller version.
Google Assistant in a smart display offers helpful live interpretation
Google is taking its translation prowess a step further with a new Interpreter Mode for the Assistant in smart displays. Instead of having to whip out your phone, installing an app or opening a browser, using Interpreter Mode on Google Smart Displays is easier since you start it with a simple "Hey Google, German interpreter" command. Anyone with a Home Hub or Lenovo Smart Display can ask Assistant to be an interpreter in one of 27 supported languages (more will be added over time) in the next few weeks. But Google sees this as a bigger play in hotels. It's launching a pilot test this week at the concierge in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, the Hyatt in San Francisco and the Dream Downtown hotels in New York City.
Google refutes reported Home Hub security flaw
A security researcher discovered a series of commands that could be used to brick the Google Home Hub. According to Jeremy Gamblin, it's possible to exploit a "undocumented (and amazingly unsecured)" API. It can be used to force the device to reboot or reveal data about a victim's network.
Lenovo updates Smart Display with Google Home Hub features
Google isn't being stingy about its recently announced Home Hub features -- it's going to be available on all Assistant smart displays, regardless of manufacturer. But we assumed it would be awhile before we actually saw these features. However, the folks at 9to5Google noticed that Lenovo is rolling out multi-room audio, Live Albums from Google Photos, Nest Hello Doorbell, Home View and more to its Smart Display over the next few weeks.
Google Home Hub review: A more personal smart display
Google debuted its take on the smart display earlier this year with a slew of Echo Show rivals. This is, after all, the Google way. As it did with Android, Google created the ecosystem and then partnered with third-party companies like Lenovo and JBL to make the actual products. However, as with the Pixel and the first run of Google Home products, Google likes to dabble in hardware, too. That's why it wasn't much of a surprise when Google announced the Home Hub -- its very own spin on the smart display. What was surprising, was how different it was from all the other Google-powered smart displays so far. The Home Hub is small, clad in a fabric finish, and (perhaps its most intriguing "feature") doesn't have a camera. It all adds up to a refreshing take on the smart display that makes it a good fit for nearly every room in your home.
Google Home Hub's best feature is not having a camera
Both Google and Facebook unveiled products for the growing "smart display" market this week. Facebook's Portal is meant to be the best way to make video calls; it also has Alexa built in, so it can do just about everything an Echo does as well. Meanwhile, Google's Home Hub can quickly answer questions and pull up info from services like YouTube, Google Maps, Calendar, Search and Photos. It also doubles as a command center for smart home devices and a pretty nice digital-photo frame. Essentially, it extends what the Google Assistant can already do by visually offering more information than you can get with voice alone -- similar to what Amazon already does with the Echo Show. But perhaps the most important feature of the Home Hub is what Google didn't include: a camera. That means video chat is off the table, and that's a design decision Google thinks will give it an edge over Amazon and Facebook.
Google Home Hub hands-on: A surprisingly compact smart display
Sure, Google's new Home Hub wasn't a secret today -- but I was still surprised at just how tiny the device is in real life. I imagined a tablet-sized screen perched on top of something resembling the giant Google Home Max, but I couldn't have been more wrong if I tried. The Home Hub is positively dainty -- thin, light and unobtrusive. The photo below with my iPhone 8 Plus next to the Home Hub should give you an idea just how small this device is. It still feels like a Google Home product, with the same acoustically transparent fabric found on the Home Mini and Max. But, the display clearly sets it apart from Google's past smart speakers.
Google's own smart display is reportedly the $149 Home Hub
On October 9th, Google will reveal its latest hardware lineup. Rumors have spread for some time that the company is preparing to unveil a smart display at the event, and a leak unearthed by MySmartPrice corroborates the existence of the device, indicating that it will be called Home Hub. Meanwhile, a separate leak of a retail listing suggests the smart display will cost $149, according to Android Authority.
