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Nest revival? Google's smart speakers may be poised for a long-due refresh
- Some code found in the latest Google Home app seems to be mentioning a new Nest Hub Max device.
- Additionally, clues were found to a potential successor for the popular Nest Audio smart speaker.
It’s been quite a while since Google launched the Nest Hub Max and the Nest Audio smart speakers. With the Pixel tablet offering somewhat similar smart hub capabilities, it seemed like Google’s dedicated smart speaker/smart hub lines might have been winding down. However, a compelling discovery suggests that Google may be working on new Nest devices.
9to5Google‘s exploration of the latest Google Home app (version 3.16) revealed a device labeled as a “Nest Hub Max” alongside the previous 2019 model. Interestingly, this new model appears to retain the classic Google Assistant-powered smart display experience characteristic of the Nest Hub series rather than adopt an Android-based system.
Furthermore, the publication uncovered a product labeled “Nest Audio” tucked away in the code. This suggests a long-awaited follow-up to the 2020 Nest Audio speaker could be in the works. We’ve already brainstormed a wishlist of features we’d love to see in the next-generation Nest Audio.
It’s important to remember that while finding references to new devices within app code is exciting, it doesn’t always mean a product launch is right around the corner. Sometimes, these are hints of potential future projects, and their release timelines can be unpredictable.
AI in our home?
In recent months, Google has heavily promoted its Gemini AI across products and services, even offering it as a replacement for Google Assistant on smartphones. Gemini will likely play a role in all future Google products, including any potential new smart speakers. If and when these Nest products materialize, it’ll be fascinating to see how Google fully adopts Gemini for its smart home ecosystem.
For now, we’ll add these new Nest products to the growing list of anticipated hardware launches at Google I/O 2024, kicking off on May 14th. Would you embrace Gemini in your smart home, or is the tried-and-true Google Assistant still your preference? Let us know in the comments below.