In spite of sharing similar dimensions and look, Nest Hub 2nd Gen offers some new features and a few significant improvements over the first generation of Google Home Hub devices.
This Google Home guide explains the new features of the Nest Hub 2nd Gen and the major improvements in the 2nd Gen Nest Hub, including sleep sensing and quick gestures. The guide also helps you understand the difference between Google Nest Hub 2nd Gen vs Google Nest Hub vs Google Home Hub.
As mentioned, the Nest Hub 2nd Gen looks very similar to the original Nest Hub (which is identical to Google Home Hub, read on.). The design, dimensions and screen size (7″) are all almost identical.
Actually, it is hard to differ between the Google Nest Hub 2nd Gen and Google Nest Hub if you look at them from a distance of more than 2 or 3 meters away.
But Google Nest Hub 2nd Gen does pack with new features and improvements. So, what are the new features and improvements?
Basically, whatever you have and whatever you can do on the 1st Gen Nest Hub (or Google Home Hub) can be found or done on the 2nd Gen Nest Hub.
Google Nest Hub 2nd Gen offers the following additional features and improvements.
One of the most prominent new features of the 2nd Gen Google Nest Hub is Sleep Sensing.
The 2nd Gen Nest Hub can track your sleep duration and quality with the Motion Sense feature. In a nutshell, the low-energy radar detects your movement and breathing. Other sensors detect ambient sound, snoring, coughing, ambient light, and temperature.
By combing all the info, the smart display can then track not only when you went to bed and how long you slept but also the quality of your sleep.
Please refer to this guide (coming soon) on how o use Sleep Sensing with Google Nest Hub 2nd Gen.
Google first introduced the Quick Gestures (aka hand gesture, air gesture) in the 10-inch Nest Hub Max. Now, this feature is also available on the 2nd Gen Nest Hub.
Quick Gestures allow you to use your hand (palm) gestures to pause/resume media play, dismiss alarms, stop Google Assistant.
You do not need to touch the screen. But your hand should be close to the screen.
Please refer to this guide on how to use Quick Gestures with Google Nest Hub 2nd Gen.
Google Nest Hub 2nd Gen added the Soli sensor to detect movement and breathing.
Soli sensor is Google’s miniature radar system that detects and analyse human motions at various scales. It can detect the motion from the tap of your finger to the movements of your body.
The Soli sensor was first equipped on the over-hyped Pixel 4 phone. It seems it offers more value for the smart display.
Google also added a temperature sensor for sleep tracking on the Nest Hub end Gen.
Unfortunately, it seems you cannot use the temperature sensor beyond sleep tracking at this time. In other words, you cannot show the room temperature on any cards or ask Google Assistant for the current room temperature.
Maybe, the access to the temperature sensor will be expanded through a software update in the future.
Google added one more far-field microphone on the 2nd Gen Nest Hub. It will pick up your voice better and faster.
Although the 7-in display is still wrapped in similar bezels, the 2nd Gen Nest Hub adopted edge-to-edge glass for the front side.
This means it is easier to clean because there are no seams between the glass the plastic around it.
Google Nest Hub 2nd Gen supports IEEE 802.15.4 (at 2.4 GHz) Thread protocol.
It is a future-proof feature, and it is NOT enabled on the device by Google yet.
Although the dimensions are close, Google Nest Hub 2nd Gen (588g) is 108g heavier than the original one.
The increase in weight apparently helps to improve the bass. Google claimed 50% more bass.
Obviously, Google learned a lesson from the wrong pricing of Pixel 4.
Google 2nd Gen Nest Hub is priced at $99.99, which is $50 cheaper than the Google Home Hub.
Of course, Google offers discounts for the Google Home Hub and Nest Hub (1st Gen). The street price is currently probably close to $90.
So, it is a no brainer to choose the 2nd Gen smart display for the small price difference if you are considering a new Google Smart display.
In many regions, only Google Hoem Hub and Google Nest Hub are available currently. Therefore, some may mistakenly think the Google Nest Hub is the latest generation of the Google Smart display.
As mentioned, Google Nest Display is just a rebrand of Google Home Hub. There are identical in hardware and software. Basically, they are identical except for the name.
Google gradually branded all Google Home devices (Google Home, Google Home Mini, Google Home Max, and Google Home Hub) to Nest, for example, Nest Home Mini, Nest Audio, Nest Hub.
Anyway, if you have the choice, you should go for Google Nest Hub 2nd Gen. It offers everything on Google Home Hub (Google Nest Hub) and some new features and improvements.
If you have any questions on the 2nd Gen Nest Hub, please let us know in the comment box below.
The community will help you.
Other Nest Hub guides can be found on this page.
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This post was last modified on June 16, 2021 1:01 pm
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