Nest Hub 7” Smart Display with Google Assistant (2nd Gen) – Sand

I’ve been using voice-controlled hubs for a long time, but I am late to the smart display experience. To start, the Nest Hub 2 looks genuinely pleasant and classy. The light green textured base has some weight that allows decent stability. The glass-covered display is flushed with the bezels, which personally I think are on the thick side. On the “forehead,” you’ll see some sensors. There is also a volume rocker and a mic mute slider on the back.
Setting it up requires a bit of know-how, but the device will walk you through every step. Keep in mind that you will need your phone or tablet (with a recent version OS). I did run into a few snags but once it was working, it’s smooth sailing.
The 7-inch screen is flushed and is bright enough in a well-lit room. Although the resolution is low (1024X600), it is clear and has enough contrast to be appreciated. I watched a few videos, and it did the job well, although I would not go watching movies all day on it though. When not in use, the Nest doubles as a picture frame that you can set to display whatever album you choose. For music, podcasts, and audiobooks, there are plenty of options to choose from.
The sound coming out of this small 1.7” speaker is rather full and natural. The bass does have some impact -even at high volumes, although it may not blow away any bass-heads out there. The midrange is well represented and clear, adding transparency to speech and most rhythm-based instruments. The treble is a bit soft but still is high enough to add clarity. The nest covers my small bedroom nicely, but some bass may get lost in a bigger space. Also, at above 80% volume (4), I did notice a bit of muddiness -especially in heavy rock and classical orchestra genres. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to my podcasts and audiobooks as vocals are clear and natural.
As a voice assistant, Google is usually on top of things. I noticed that it does have some difficulty with nuanced questions. The good thing is that the screen gives you options when a straight answer cannot be given. Coming from a voice-only assistant device, that’s a huge upgrade. As far as voice recognition, the Hub understood almost everything -even from across the room. Speaking of commands, it is nice to control any device connected to the Google Home ecosystem. I have a kitchen lamp, a speaker, and a Chromecast-enabled TV, and all worked as expected. You can always turn off the mic if the always-listening mode bugs you.
I tried calling some people with Google Duo and it worked nicely, Unfortunately, the Nest Hub does not have a camera so video conferencing is not available for the other party, but you will be able to still see them. This may be a bummer for some, but in my case, since I use the Nest in my bedroom, I’d rather have it that way.
Alarms work well with a few nifty options such as ambient sounds and lighting for both going to sleep and waking up. The alarm can be “shooshed” by waving your hand by the screen, which beats reaching for the snooze or telling it to shut up.
The main feature that other smart displays do not have is Sleep Sensing, which basically tracks your sleeping patterns. Using a radar-like technology, the device can tell when you get to bed, go to sleep, how much you move, and if you snore. It also detects ambient light and room temperature. Setting it up can be a bit tricky or inconvenient if your nightstand is too high or low, as placement must be precise. I have a low-altitude bed and my stand is well above, so I had to do some rearranging to make this work. Once calibration is done, I found the app to be mostly in the ballpark in accuracy. There were a couple of nights that registered my partner in bed instead and gave the wrong reading. It can also register anyone’s snoring, but luckily, I am the only one who does that. Afterward, the app tells you how you slept, and in a few days, it gives you “advice” on how to sleep better. It may not be as accurate as wearing a smart wristwatch, but it is interesting to see. I must mention that this is being offered for free at the moment, and Google says that it may become subscription-based later, which makes me question how much value this may bring to the table.
In the end, the Sleep Sensing technology may be a bit gimmicky and is perhaps in its infancy, and hopefully will get better with updates. I am not sure if a subscription may change my view on it, but I found it interesting since I do not like wearing a smartwatch to bed. Still, I find the device useful and charming. Sure, it almost seems like a glorified digital picture frame, but it does bring some new features, good sound, and functionality.

I have had one of these for some time and I just purchased this one for my girl for Christmas. I love the Google Assistant and this hub makes it even more fun to use. Works much better and does alot more than Alexa in my experience.

The Nest Hub 2 has all the usual features found on a sophisticated smart display. The only missing feature is a built-in camera which I am actually glad it does not have, especially for a device used in the bedroom and facing my bed. With the mic enabled, the wake phrase “hey google” allows voice commands for a wide range of options and smart home integrated controls. The 7-inch color touchscreen display also adds the benefit of touch sensitive controls if direct input is preferred. The sense feature also allows the use of touchless hand gestures to control media and silence alarms or the Google Assistant. Setup and operation are both straightforward but as always, I suggest thoroughly reading through the terms rather than merely accepting without reading. I opted out of binding arbitration after reading some parts of the language I wasn’t comfortable with. The on-screen menu system is intuitive and easy to navigate and the floating design display is responsive, vivid and bright. Backlight level can be set manually or set to dynamically change with lighting conditions. The display can be used primarily as a clock, information hub or even a digital photo frame while in standby. It can also play streaming media on demand. Sound isn’t bad for the size. Video and music quality both sound good and volume is sufficiently loud for small areas like a bedroom or den.
The sleep sensing is the standout feature of the Nest Hub 2. It works reliably and seems accurate. After a brief calibration it will track sleep automatically and can tell when you fall asleep versus merely laying in the bed. The Soli sensor uses radar and other sensors to monitor movements and record breathing and sounds like coughs and snoring. All recorded sounds are stored on the device and are not uploaded to the cloud. Sleep data is uploaded to the cloud and can be viewed on either the device touchscreen or in the Google Fit app. The Fit app is easier to navigate, feels more user friendly and provides more in-depth sleep data. Sleep reports share info such as total time asleep, the amount of time it took to fall asleep, respiratory rate and environmental conditions like temperature, humidity and light levels. I included screenshots of a report that includes a couple hours spent awake in the pre-dawn hours before going back to sleep. Past and present sleep data can be accessed in the Fit app. Sleep data can also be accessed on the device but is more limited than using the app and some sleep features require mandatory enrollment in voice match to access from the device. Sounds and sleep data can be deleted at any time.
Sound recording is useful for monitoring snoring and coughs to determine whether either poses a problem to restful sleep but also seems a bit creepy and invasive, especially if sharing a bed. I disabled it after realizing it had recorded my wife’s coughs and mistakenly attributed them to me. It felt somewhat invasive of her personal space and the idea of having all bedroom sounds recorded nonstop throughout the night seems a bit unsettling. Another thing that feels mildly disturbing is nonstop beaming of radio waves towards my head. For these reasons I only activate sleep sensing when I’m literally ready to fall asleep. I also only use sound recording if I have a specific concern about snoring. Otherwise, I keep it disabled most nights. Perhaps I’m overly paranoid and all of this is unnecessary but it makes me feel more at ease.
Sleep sensing is currently being offered as a free preview for the next year at no charge. No credit card is required to activate the preview. Once the preview is over, a paid subscription will be required. The subscription rate is not yet available but I’m debating whether I will be willing to incur the expense of another subscription service after the preview. The fact that I already own a wearable that can track my sleep with no subscription required makes a paid subscription less appealing. It will all come down to the eventual price.
The Nest Hub 2 is an excellent smart display that puts a wealth of features at my fingertips or a voice command away. The sleep sensing feature is reliable and seems to work well but I have to make myself feel more comfortable with the way it works. The hub provides quick access to my other smart devices like my Hue lights, Sonos speakers and more. The 7” size is perfect as a bedside clock and photo frame.

I’m happy i bought this google nest hub and got it with promotional price. Very useful, with just a voice command, i can play music, weather update, time, set an alarm, direction and so on..