Expert review of the Google Nest Hub 2
Google Nest Hub 2
- Via the screen, you can view the weather forecast, your calendar, or footage of your smart doorbell or IP camera.
- Thanks to the gesture and voice control, you can control the hub without using your smartphone or tablet.
- With this hub, you can improve your sleep thanks to the sleep analyses.
- The smart display doesn't have a camera, so you're not visible during video calls yourself.
- You'll need a Google account to use functions like calendar manager.
A first impression of the Google Nest Hub 2
When opening the package, I notice that the appearance of the new Nest Hub is very similar to that of its predecessor. The size of the hub and its screen are pretty much the same, as are the colors. On the back, I find the physical buttons for the volume and the button to turn on the voice assistant. The screen doesn't have a physical bezel with this version. This makes the front of the casing more of a whole.
The basis of your smart home
With the Nest Hub 2 as a tool, I can control my smart home. This works like I'm used to. I can control smart devices that are connected to Google Assistant with voice commands or touch controls. I can also easily set timers, play music, or watch a video. When I use the screen, I notice the renewed interface. Thanks to the tabs, it's a lot better organized. The new menu is comparable to the previous version in terms of speed.
Useful addition to the bedroom
Because many people use the hub in the bedroom, Google added a number of useful properties. I can use the Nest Hub 2 as a wake-up light and alarm clock. Thanks to the new Soli chip, sleep analysis is possible too. The sensor measures your snoring behavior, how often you move around, and the light during the night. I can check the Google Fit app in the morning to see how my sleep was, and I can read advice on how to improve it. Until the end of 2021, you can try the sleeping analysis for free.
Use gestures for simple assignments
The new Soli chip makes it possible to use gesture controls, in addition to performing a sleep analysis. At the moment, this is limited to 2 gestures. I can pause music or a video by making a stop-gesture with a flat hand. With a swipe-motion, I can turn off a timer or snooze my alarm clock. This is convenient when you use the hub in your bedroom. I don't use the gesture controls for anything else, only when I'm cooking and my hands are dirty.
Improved sound quality
I use the Nest Hub 2 to play music and watch videos. This renewed model has a larger speaker than the first version. Thanks to this, the volume and the bass of the played music has improved a lot. This doesn't mean that you can use this Nest Hub as a full-fledged replacement for a Nest Audio or Sonos speaker. But, it's better suitable to play your music than before.
Conclusion
The new Google Nest Hub has a couple of improvements compared to the first version. This makes it more suitable as a sleep analyzer and alarm clock, for example. Gesture controls isn't very extensive at the moment, but still useful in some situations. You can pleasantly control your smart home with this hub, just like its predecessor. The screen of the Nest Hub 2 is useful too, like when you're cooking or checking your calendar.
