Hands On With the Google Home Hub Smart Display

The get-go 2 things to know near the $149 Google Habitation Hub are: information technology'southward small, and information technology doesn't accept a camera. That makes information technology the kickoff chamber-friendly Google Banana smart display, and a super-cute competitor to Amazon's Alexa-powered Echo Show and Echo Spot. We got a gamble to check it out at Google'southward launch effect.

We've seen Google smart displays a few times earlier. Like the Lenovo Smart Display and the JBL Link View, they feature touch on screens, big speakers, and Google Assistant showing you YouTube videos, recipes, or the weather. Simply they've all been a bit hefty so far.

Enter the Google Home Hub. It's petite! The petty smart speaker has a 7-inch touch screen, comes in four colors (blue, gray, pink, and white) and measures 7.0 by 4.6 by ii.6 inches (HWD). Information technology'll fit into places where there isn't a lot of space: a crowded nightstand, for instance, or a kitchen counter covered in spice bottles. (Welcome to my life.)

The unmarried speaker is surprisingly powerful for the size. It's rated for 80dB at one meter, and that seems spot on. It volition make full a small room with sound.

There's no 3.5mm in or out, simply the Home Hub has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and information technology works either as a Bluetooth speaker or as a "casting" target from Android phones. I'm okay with that; the Hub feels similar a standalone product or a controller for remote devices, not something that would be sitting on meridian of a larger speaker.

The software is the same as on the Lenovo and JBL products we reviewed, merely it's worth going over. It's based on Google Assistant; it acts as a digital picture frame for your Google Photos when you're not paying attention, and then wakes up to answer questions, testify you recipes, command smart domicile devices, or play YouTube videos or Google Play Music.

Amazon has a stronger position than Google with smart dwelling fans, so Google wanted to show off the Home Hub's smart dwelling prowess. The device can control ane,000 different smart domicile gadgets now, and has a really cool dashboard that gives you the state of your habitation as a whole, such as "iii lights are on, the forepart door is unlocked, and the temperature is prepare to 64 degrees." Visual menus for smart lights let you choose from all of the available color choices for each bulb. It'due south a very nice control eye, in that mode.

The Google Home Hub isn't quite as compelling as the Amazon Echo Spot as a bedroom alarm clock, merely because the Echo Spot is so cute and tiny. But the Echo Spot has a camera, which creeps people out, and more importantly, I doubtfulness people will exist mixing ecosystems in one home. The Abode Hub gives Google Assistant fans a reason not to be envious of the Echo Show.

Home Hub is available for pre-club now and comes out Oct. 22. Check back soon for a full review.