Google is launching a larger 10in version of its smart display as it attempts to supplant Amazon’s Alexa as the top smartspeaker maker.
Announced at Google’s I/O developer conference in California on Tuesday, the new Google Nest Hub Max, which will launch on 15 July costing £219 in the UK. It spearheads the firm’s new push to combine its Nest and other smart home products into one brand.
The Nest Hub Max is a larger version of the popular Google Assistant-powered Home Hub, launched in October last year. Like other smart displays it answers questions and accepts commands via voice, but can also show information and video on its 10in 1080p screen providing more detail and allowing non-verbal interaction.
New for the Nest Hub Max is a wide-angle camera, which enables video calling and messaging including an automatic framing system. But it also enables a range of unique features using local artificial intelligence, which operate without needing to send information to Google’s servers.
The camera can be taught to recognise individuals’ faces as they approach the display and proactively show them their personal information such as calendar and messages on the screen. Google’s Voice Match voice recognition system has been capable of similar feats but only reactively.
The camera can also be used for hand-based gestures. Showing it a palm when watching video or playing music or the radio pauses the content without having to touch the screen or talk to Google Assistant.
The integration of Google’s Nest smart home system can also make use of the camera as a security camera, complete with intruder alerts and recorded video with an additional subscription.
“Our goal is to simplify the smart home, but also evolve the privacy model,” said Lionel Guicherd-Callin, head of product for EMEA for Google Nest. “Transitioning Nest into Google gives us access to better security for accounts including proactive detection of intrusion attempts. But we are also going to be transparent about the data we collect, that we don’t sell users’ data and allow users to review, remove or delete their data where needed.”
Guicherd-Callin said that Google would publish all details of sensors, cameras and microphones in its smart home products, even if they are not actively in use, and give users control to switch them off where desired.
As well as the traditional mute switch that electrically disconnects both the microphones and the camera on the Nest Hub Max, users will be able to disable the camera entirely.
Part of the merger of Google’s Home and Nest brands will be the renaming of the existing Google Home Hub to the Google Nest Hub, with other products following suit at a later date.
