Google Hub Max is available in various web shops, we have done this and we have written a Google Nest Hub Max review here.
The Google Nest Hub smart display has a new big brother, the Google Nest Hub Max. This smart display has been available in America since September this year for a price of $ 229. We did manage to get one and wrote a Google Nest Hub Max review about it. We can already tell you that not only the format is different, but that there are also other nice new features.
What is the Max Hub smart device?
Just like its predecessor, this Google Nest Max Hub is a smart display from Google Nest . A smart display is intended to control smart devices and can also be used as a voice assistant. Naturally, this smart display contains the Google Assistant.
In addition to being only a smart display with which you can control devices, this is also a hub, also known as a smart home controller . You can also use such a hub as a central point for your smart devices, so you can connect smart lighting, security cameras or your smart door locks, for example.
What’s new with the Nest Hub Max?
When we only look at the design of the Max, a few things immediately stand out, for example, the Nest Max is a lot larger than its predecessor and there is a camera on the top. The small version of the Nest Hub has a 7-inch screen and the Max has a 10-inch screen, which looks very nice.
What was known and immediately noticeable is the camera. Previously, the Nest Hub did not have a camera, but the Max does have a camera on the top. With this camera you can do many new functions, for example you can use the Nest Max as a security camera for indoors or you can use it to make video calls. We will tell you more about the new functions of the camera below.
Furthermore, the sound quality of the Nest Hub Max is a lot better, so the sound sounds a bit fuller and clearer. This is logical because the Hub Max now contains two 10 Watt tweeters and one 30 Watt woofer.
Features of the camera of the Max
What we immediately noticed was the built-in camera in the Hub Max. This is a real Nest camera, which means that you can also link it to your Nest account. You can also use it as a smart security camera at home, you can use it to make video calls and the device reacts to movement.
Smart security camera at home: o ok we have of course tested this and it works fine. For example, enable that when someone enters you, you will be notified. Two-way communication is also possible, so you can listen to what is happening in the room and talk back via your smartphone.
Free video calling with friends: if you and your friends use Google Duo, you can video call each other for free. Previously, the Nest did not have a camera, but this Max did, so this function is now also possible on the Nest Hub Max, read here how you can do this: calling with Google Home .
In addition to voice commands, also movements: we also found out during testing that the Nest Max responds to movements. Very useful when you are cooking and you go to a cooking instruction video on YouTube video, by moving your hand up you can then pause the video. Very handy and this saves you shouting “Hey Google” again.
What about Google privacy?
An important topic in a smart home is of course also privacy. While several large companies such as Google Amazon and Apple were still negative in the news about wiretapping this year, it is important to also look at privacy. Especially for this Hub Max because it has a camera and the Hub is intended as the center of your home and also knows who you are through facial recognition.
When setting up your device, you can indicate that you want to share data with Google, Google uses this information to improve the Google Assistant. Many smart home enthusiasts have no problem with this and share the information so that the voice assistant can be improved. You can also indicate that you do not want to share this.
You can also turn off the camera and microphone via the slider on the back, or individually via the settings of the Hub. Unlike other displays (for example the Amazon Show 5) the camera is unfortunately not covered with a shutter, this would give me a more secure feeling.
With this we have to rely on the word of Google in terms of privacy. Google does say that when creating a model of your face (for facial recognition) the data is stored locally on your Nest Hub Max, but if we continue reading we also see a rule that it is temporarily stored at Google and that this data is used. to improve the quality of Face Match.
Watching movies and videos via the Nest Hub Max is very limited
Another point we looked at in this Google Nest Hub Max review is whether it is possible to view images or movies, especially handy because the screen is almost four times the size of my smartphone.
Unfortunately, not everything is possible yet, we are still waiting until it is possible to watch Netflix on the Nest Hub, but this is not yet possible. It can be very useful to use YouTube, for example you can ask Google if it can show you how to make a pancake. However, it may be interesting to use Plex. Plex is a media server that allows you to stream movies yourself. By adding films to your account yourself, you can watch films on your Google Nest Hub Max via your account. The Google voice assistant also works well on this, so you can pause the movie with your voice, among other things.
What do we think of this new Hub Max?
Just like the previous smart display from Google, we are very satisfied, beautiful design, works well and a real addition to your smart home. We are a bit skeptical about privacy, especially because the Hub must be the center of your house and it now has a camera that you cannot close with a shutter. So we have to rely on Google’s word for this.
It is also always nice when new functions are added. For example, pausing a video with gestures is very cool and innovative. Furthermore, this Hub Max works on the same system as the previous one and this hub has the same design, only the screen is a bit bigger and better sound quality.
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