Google Nest Hub 2nd Generation Gets a New Feature

Mar, 2021 - By SMI

Google Nest Hub, a smart display with sleep functions, has been released and the company’s 2^nd gen device gets a new update to monitor a user's sleep routine, and the new update is entirely optional.

The Google nest hub tracks the user's sleep using Soli, Google's low-energy radar technology. There seems to be no camera, however it has upgraded internals for excellent audio output. The 2^nd generation device, like the Nest Audio and Nest Mini, includes an on-device machine learning chip. The 2nd generation device costs nearly around US$ 99.99 and is now available for order in Canada, Australia, Germany, United Kingdom, France, and in U.S. through the official app store of Google. There is still no details on whether it is available in other marketplaces. The 2^nd gen device is available in Charcoal, Sand, Chalk, Mist, and Mist color schemes. In terms of audio, the new 2^nd generation Nest Hub's speaker uses the same updated software as the 1^st generation device. Music, videos, and audiobooks can be streamed from services such as Spotify, YouTube Music, and Apple Music. They can also watch TV shows and movies from services such as YouTube TV, Netflix, and Disney+.

The Nest Hub 2 has a camera-free design and an opt-in Sleep Sensing feature to allow users enhance their sleep. Every morning, Google Nest Hub will display a customized sleep summary to its users. According to Google, Sleep Sensing can be connected with the Google Fit app on IOS and Android phones to track the sleep summary as well as health-related issues. In terms of privacy, Google claims that Sleep Sensing is optional. Users can enable it if they want, and there's an indicator on the screen to let them know when it's on. According to Google, Motion Sense detects only motion. Only the device processes user’s snoring and coughing audio data and they can also delete the sleep data at any time.