Google has announced the availability of its second-gen Nest Hub device in New Zealand, allowing you to stay entertained with shows, videos and music and control your compatible smart devices with a tap or your voice.
The new Nest Hub has rich sound to fill any room with music, podcasts and audiobooks from services like YouTube Music and Spotify. Just ask Google to play your favourite shows and movies on Netflix, YouTube and Disney+, catch up on spots highlights on YouTube and find how-to videos on just about anything.
Thanks to its radar-based technology Nest Hub recognises Quick Gestures, allowing you to pause or play content at any time by tapping the air in front of your display.
The new Nest Hub shows all your compatible connected devices in one place so you can control them with one tap. And with a built-in Thread radio, Nest Hub will work with the new connectivity standard being created by the Project Connected Home over IP working group, making it even simpler to control your connected home.
Nest Hub is also full of help for your busy home. See your calendar, set timers and create reminders so everyone stays on track. Just say, “Hey Google, broadcast it’s dinner time” and everyone will hear it on your Nest speakers around the house. Ask Google about the weather or almost anything.
Next-gen Nest Hub is also an alternative to sleep trackers. With a camera-free design, Google added Sleep Sensing, an opt-in feature to help you understand and improve your sleep — the subscription-based feature is available as a free preview until next year.
Sleep Sensing is completely optional with privacy safeguards in place so you’re in control: you choose if you want to enable it and there's a visual indicator on the display to let you know when it’s on. Motion Sense only detects motion, not specific bodies or faces, and coughing and snoring audio data is processed on the device itself — it isn’t sent to Google servers.
You have multiple controls to disable Sleep Sensing features, including a hardware switch that physically disables the microphone. You can review or delete your sleep data at any time, and it isn't used for personalised ads.
Even if you choose not to enable Sleep Sensing, you can still fall asleep and wake up easier with Nest Hub. The display dims to make your bedroom more sleep-friendly, and the “Your evening” page helps you wind down at night with relaxing sounds. When it’s time to wake up, Nest Hub’s Sunrise Alarm gradually brightens the display and increases the alarm volume.
The new Nest Hub will be available in New Zealand in two colours, to complement most rooms in the house: Chalk and Charcoal. It features an edgeless glass display that’s easy to clean and turn your Nest Hub into a digital photo frame. Nest Hub is designed with recycled materials with its plastic mechanical pats containing 54 percent recycled post-consumer plastic.
The second-generation Nest Hub is NZ$ 169. It will be available from JB Hi-Fi, Noel Leeming, Harvey Norman, PB Tech and The Warehouse, from 5th May.
