The Google Nest Hub Max adds a bigger screen and a webcam in a welcome upgrade
So far Google has resisted producing umpteen different models of its smart speaker products restricting itself to the Google Home, the Home Hub, Home Mini and Home Max. But this year it’s taking a different approach. Not only is it adding to its product range with the new Google Nest Hub Max but it is also revamping the brand, incorporating the Nest name for the very first time.
Google Nest Hub Max review (hands on): What you need to know
As expected, the Google Nest Hub Max is, essentially, a Google Home Hub (now renamed the Google Nest Hub) made bigger. It has a 10in, 1,280 x 800 IPS display and a beefier speaker array than the smaller Home Hub, but other than that, it looks identical to its smaller sibling.
It’s a smart speaker with a display attached and it works just as you’d expect it to: say “OK Google”, ask a question or issue a command and it will do your bidding.
It still has the same “floating” screen design as its smaller sibling, and it’s still mounted atop a similar angled, fabric-covered stand, inside which the Hub Max’s speaker drivers reside.
The only other difference, aside from the size, is that the Google Nest Hub Max has a camera, which enables video calls via Google Duo, and face-detection features, which I’ll cover in more depth later on in this article.
Google Nest Hub Max review (hands on): Specification and release date
- 10in, 1,280 x 800 display
- 6.5MP camera with 127-degree field of view
- 2.1 speaker array
- 1 x 75mm, 30W woofer
- 2 x 38mm, 10W mid-high drivers
- 2 x far-field microphones
- 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5 connectivity
- Ambient EQ light sensor
- Dimensions: 250 x 101 x 183mm (WDH), 1.3kg
- Colours: Chalk, charcoal
- Google Assistant
- Price: £219 inc VAT, register at the Google Store
- Release date: 15 July 2019
- Google Nest Hub Max review (hands on): Key features and first impressions
The benefits of the larger 10in display are obvious and the bigger speakers in the base mean the new Hub is a much better bet for listening to music than the rather weak Google Nest Hub.
Your photos will, inevitably, look even better on the bigger screen, and controls and buttons will be easier to tap with your arm outstretched. The benefits of the camera are less obvious, especially for the security-conscious – but note that the privacy switch on the rear of the Google Nest Hub Max disables both the microphones and the camera electrically, meaning there’s no chance of them being hacked into remotely when you’ve turned them off.
For those more interested in extra features, the camera is a boon, especially if you prefer to use a fixed camera for video calls. Google being Google, though, it hasn’t simply slapped on the camera, switched on video calling and left it at that.
Indeed, the Nest Hub Max’s camera is much smarter than a plain webcam. Within video calls, for instance, it can zoom in and focus on individuals and groups as they move around the frame using a feature Google calls “Auto Framing”.
It can also use face recognition to “Face Match” you, displaying content that’s relevant to you (and you alone) as you approach the speaker – think personalised calendar appointments, reminders, video messages and so on.
And, beyond that, the Nest Hub Max is also able to use its camera to detect various gestures; to pause and play music, for instance. Given that you have to be right next to the speaker for this to work, however, I’m not too sure how useful it will be.
Finally, if all that wasn’t enough, the camera in the Google Nest Hub Max can also be deployed as a Nest security camera, if you choose. This means having the Hub Max recording footage constantly and storing it in the cloud, so you can access that footage remotely and see what was going on at home at a certain point in time.
As with other Nest cameras, the recording feature can be set to disable itself when registered users connect to the home network, but these security camera features require a Nest Aware account, which you have to pay for. This means that, after an initial trial period, you’ll be paying from £4 per month or £40 per year depending on the level of service you want.
Google Nest Hub Max review (hands on): Early verdict
The Google Nest Hub Max is a natural progression for Google’s smart display range. It matches the Amazon Echo Show 2 for both screen size and price, boosts sound quality over the regular Google Nest Hub (née Home Hub) and I think it looks nicer than Amazon’s rather angular black box as well.
I couldn’t tell at the demonstration just how good the sound quality from the revamped speakers is, but, rest assured, I’ll update this with my full impressions just as soon as we have one to test.
Source: expertreviews.co.uk
