Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
Rumored 'Nest Wi-Fi' system could bake Google Assistant into mesh nodes
According to a new rumor, via 9to5Google, there could be a new Google-made mesh Wi-Fi system on the way. The system would be called Nest Wi-Fi and operate much like the current Google Wi-Fi system already does.
However, there would be two major differences between Nest Wi-Fi and Google Wi-Fi. The biggest difference would be that the new version could offer smaller nodes in addition to a larger main hub, which for some reason the Google Wi-Fi system doesn’t do.
This would mean that you would only need to buy one main device for your mesh wireless network and then buy additional smaller (and presumably cheaper) nodes to spread that Wi-Fi signal throughout your home.
The second big difference between Nest Wi-Fi and Google Wi-Fi is that Google Assistant would be baked right into the nodes (but not the main hub). Presumably, this would make each node of the new mesh system into a kind of Google Home Mini, allowing you to issue voice commands to control the various parts of your smart home or get answers to questions.
Interestingly, you could also issue new voice commands pertaining to your home network. For example, you could say, “Hey Google, turn off the internet in Jake’s room,” if you wanted to prevent your child from accessing the web temporarily.
Additionally, 9to5Google’s source says that the new Nest Wi-Fi system will be “much more home-friendly” when it comes to its design and come in three different colors. There wasn’t confirmation on this, but it’s a good bet the design would feature the fabric touch of other Google Home devices.
Finally, the best news about this new Nest Wi-Fi system is that it could be backward-compatible with the current Google Wi-Fi system.
It’s a good bet that — if this product is real — we’ll see it launched alongside the Google Pixel 4 at the next Made by Google event on October 15.