Google Nest Hub (2nd gen): Sleep sensing from a smart display

Speaker 1: Just when you thought you had plenty of smart display options to choose from. Bam Google's second gen nest hub shows up with sleep tracking without a camera. This is the second gen nest hub, and we're reviewing it now Speaker 1: In this video, we'll talk about what's different between the old nest hub and the new one, how sleep sensing and quick gestures work and sort out sound quality. Let's get started. The [00:00:30] new nest hub costs $100 making it 30 bucks, cheaper on release than the original nest hub. Less money more features is usually a good thing. As long as those features are things you actually want on the outside. This new model looks nearly identical to the first nest hub it's available in four colors, chalk charcoal, mist, and sand. There's still a seven inch HD display and the familiar mute switch and volume bar on the back. One indicator that you're looking at a second gen model is the edgeless glass cover across the display. There's [00:01:00] still a thick bezel, but the glass layer over it might make cleaning your smart display. Just a little bit easier on the inside. Speaker 1: The new nest hub has the same machine learning chip that's in the nest mini. So your Google assistant can respond faster to your most common commands. It's also compatible with thread, a low energy smart home protocol. That's part of Amazon apple and Google's project connected home over IP or chip for a short threat isn't turned on yet, but it's there for future integration, smart home and media streaming options remain the same as previous models with [00:01:30] tabs for categories like home control media photo frame communicate and more all easily accessible from the top of the display. Okay. I know you're here for sleep sensing. So let's talk about it. Sleep sensing is the lining feature of the new nest hub. And it's powered by motion sense, which is really Google's solely mini radar technology. Now we saw solely in the pixel four, but Google hasn't made much of it since then solely is onboard the new nest hub to track your sleep from your nightstand without a wearable or a camera. Speaker 1: The mini radar can detect [00:02:00] sub millimeter movement and with the display to sense just the person sleeping closest to it. The nest hub can offer daily summaries and suggestions about the quality of your sleep on the display or in the Google fit app for iOS and Android. Other sensors like microphones, temperature, sensors, and light sensors detect environmental changes in your room that could be affecting your sleep. Now I've spent several nights sleep tracking, and while it does give you a basic picture of how you're sleeping based on time and bed, time of sleep and environmental [00:02:30] factors, it's kind of just a ballpark. My smart watch gave me more detail and it goes with me so I can track that 2:00 PM couch nap, sleep sensing is entirely optional. You can disable the entire thing if you're not into Google's grand idea of sleep tracking, or if you just don't wanna use the display in your bedroom. Speaker 1: The bummer here is that Google says sleep sensing is available as a free preview until next year. So if you get the nest hub and you love sleep sensing expect that sometime next year, it will become a paid feature likely behind Fitbit premium, which [00:03:00] Google acquired earlier this year solely, isn't just there to track your sleep. It also enables quick gestures like tapping the air in front of the display to play or pause media instead of touching the display or yelling over the music at your assistant. That's a helpful feature. If you don't wanna put messy fingers on your display while you're in the kitchen, but I was able to accidentally pause music and video while I was folding laundry. So it's definitely not perfect. When it comes to audio. Google says the new nest tub has 50% more base than the old one. Let's have a listen and you can decide for yourself. Speaker 1: [00:04:30] So the nest is no premium speaker, but for a hundred dollars smart display, it provides plenty of good quality sound for streaming audio and video. Even from across the room with a lower price and notable to sound design and capability. I'm not upset to see the first gen nest hub replaced by this model. Yes, sleep sensing is a weird flex for smart display, but Google also improved other aspects of the nest hub and it's more affordable than ever. Do you think sleep sensing is okay without a camera. Is that something you'd pay for? Tell me in the comments below [00:05:00] and don't forget to, I can subscribe for the latest from CNET. Thanks for watching.