Google Nest Hub Max
The best combination of hardware and software
Let's start with your newest option, the Google Nest Hub Max. At $230, it costs $100 more than the original Nest Hub,
and it offers the same, voice-activated Google Assistant smarts plus a
bigger screen, better sound quality and the addition of a camera.
It's
not just any camera, either; it's an intelligent, face-tracking camera
with a 127-degree wide-angle lens. Teach it what you look like, and the
display will show you personalized bits of data like reminders, messages
and calendar entries whenever it recognizes you. Making a Google Duo
video call with Google Nest Hub Max? The camera will automatically pan and tilt to follow you as
you move about the frame. It can even recognize gestures -- just raise
your hand to pause or resume playback.
The camera can double as a
Nest Cam, too. Enable the feature, and you'll be able to view its feed
via the Google Home app or the Nest app, the latter of which also lets
you set motion activation zones and save recordings to the cloud via
Nest Aware.
All of that makes for a more sophisticated camera
experience than we've seen with other smart displays, none of which can
recognize faces or gestures. I just wish Google had given us a camera shutter, too.
You can flip a switch to disable the camera digitally, but you can't
cover it up. That's too much of a trust ask for my bedroom, thank you
very much.
Beyond the camera in Google Nest Hub Max, Google's smart display features the
same visual operating system as the smaller-size Nest Hub -- a good
thing, because that visual interface is better and snappier than Amazon's.
Information is organized and presented well, it frames your photos
neatly without too much clutter on the screen, and it'll actually show
you what the Google Assistant is hearing as you speak, something you
still won't get from the Echo Show.
In Google Nest Hub Max You also get the same ambient
light sensor as the original in Google Nest Hub Max. It can automatically adjust the brightness
and contrast of the screen to keep your photos looking their best when
it's cycling through them in ambient mode, and to keep the thing from
blinding you when the room is dim. That's one of our favorite features
among any of the smart displays we've ever tested.
Bigger and Better Google Nest Hub Max
The Google Nest Hub Max is exactly what it says it is: a bigger version of the Nest Hub. It's larger and louder, though it doesn't have quite the same impressive boom as a dedicated speaker. Still, it's reasonably priced at $229.99, full of useful media features, and can even keep an eye on your home while you're away. So while it isn't the best-sounding Google Assistant smart display (that honor goes to the $250 JBL Link View), it's one of the most useful, and it sounds better than the smaller Nest Hub and Lenovo Smart Clock, making it one of the better values for your smart display dollar.
Tech specs Google Nest Hub Max
Camera
6.5-megapixel camera with wide field of view (FOV) and Smart Framing
Colors
Display
10” HD touchscreen (1280x800)
Speakers & Mic
Sensors
Connectivity
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support
Power
30W power adapter
Ports
DC Power Jack
Operating System
Android • iOS¹
What's in the box
Google Nest Hub Max
Power adapter
Quick Start Guide
Safety & warranty booklet
Requirements
Nearby electrical outlet
Wi-Fi network
Key new features in the Google Nest Hub Max are a larger 10in HD (1080x720)
screen, which is ideal for watching YouTube videos or following recipes
in the kitchen, a built-in camera for video calls, security monitoring,
Face Match and gesture recognition, and improved speakers. Now able to
recognize users by their face as well as their voice, built-in Google
Assistant confirms its place as the smart AI assistant to beat.
Personalised results based on your face
By setting up Voice Match Google Assistant is able to recognise up to six individuals and serve up a personalised experience for each based on their own user preferences and information tied to their Google account.With the new camera in Nest Hub Max Google is also able to achieve this using Face Match - again, for up to six users.
Gesture controls
Nest Hub Max's camera will be able to interpret a variety of hand gestures as an alternative to spoken commands. A hand gesture can be used to start or stop music playback, for example, which may be more successful than relying on the two-far field mics when music is blaring.
When the device is recording you, or the camera is being remotely
monitored via the Home or Nest apps, you'll now see a green LED on the
hub. No green LED, no reason to panic.
Google has also vowed to improve privacy and be more transparent with
the user security of all its Nest devices, saying it will disclose all
hardware capable of monitoring a user, and promising that their data is
not sold and can be deleted.
There's also a physical switch to turn off the camera, so nothing will be recorded unless you allow it to be.
So if that helps you to be a little more comfortable with the inclusion of the camera.
