The Second-Generation Nest Hub: A Smart Display with Sleep Tracking and Quick Gestures

Just when you thought you had plenty of smart display options to choose from, bam! Google's second-generation Nest Hub shows up with sleep tracking without a camera. This is the second-generation Nest Hub, and we're reviewing it now in this video. We'll talk about what's different between the old Nest Hub and the new one, how sleep sensing works, and sort out sound quality.

The New Nest Hub: A More Affordable Option

The new Nest Hub costs $100, making it $30 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, 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-generation model is the edgeless glass cover across the display. There's still a thick bezel, but the glass layer over it might make cleaning your smart display just a little bit easier.

The Same Machine Learning Chip and Thread Compatibility

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 (CHIP) initiative. Thread 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 tabs for categories like home control, media, photo frame, communicate, and more, all easily accessible from the top of the display.

Sleep Sensing: The Headlining Feature

Sleep sensing is the headlining feature of the new Nest Hub and it's powered by motion sense, which is really Google's Solely Mini radar technology. We saw solely in the Pixel 4 but Google hasn't made much of it since then. Solely is on board the Nest Hub to track your sleep from your nightstand without a wearable or a camera. The mini radar can detect sub-millimeter movement and with the display calibrated 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 Detecting Environmental Changes

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 with sleep tracking and while it does give you a basic picture of how you're sleeping based on time in bed, time of sleep, and environmental 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 pm couch nap.

Sleep Sensing is Entirely Optional

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 want to use the display in your bedroom. 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 Google acquired earlier this year.

Quick Gestures: Tapping Air in Front of the Display

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 want to put messy fingers on your display while you're in the kitchen. However, 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.

A More Affordable Option with Good Quality Sound

The Nest Hub is no premium speaker but for $100 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 updates to sound design and capability, I'm not upset to see the first-generation Nest Hub replaced by this model.

Is Sleep Sensing Okay Without a Camera?

Yes, sleep sensing is okay without a camera. Is that something you'd pay for? Tell me in the comments below. Don't forget to like and subscribe for the latest from CNET. Thanks for watching.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enjust 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 tub and we're reviewing it now 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 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 still a thick bezel but the glass layer over it might make cleaning your smart display just a little bit easier on the inside the new nuts 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 short thread 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 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 headlining 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 4 but google hasn't made much of it since then solely is on board the nunes hub to track your sleep from your nightstand without a wearable or a camera the mini radar can detect sub-millimeter movement and with the display calibrated 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 with sleep tracking and while it does give you a basic picture of how you're sleeping based on time in bed time of sleep and environmental 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 2pm 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 want to use the display in your bedroom 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 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 want to 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 bass than the old one let's have a listen and you can decide for yourself so the nest hub is no premium speaker but for 100 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 updates 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 a 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 and don't forget to like and subscribe for the latest from cnet thanks for watchingjust 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 tub and we're reviewing it now 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 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 still a thick bezel but the glass layer over it might make cleaning your smart display just a little bit easier on the inside the new nuts 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 short thread 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 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 headlining 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 4 but google hasn't made much of it since then solely is on board the nunes hub to track your sleep from your nightstand without a wearable or a camera the mini radar can detect sub-millimeter movement and with the display calibrated 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 with sleep tracking and while it does give you a basic picture of how you're sleeping based on time in bed time of sleep and environmental 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 2pm 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 want to use the display in your bedroom 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 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 want to 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 bass than the old one let's have a listen and you can decide for yourself so the nest hub is no premium speaker but for 100 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 updates 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 a 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 and don't forget to like and subscribe for the latest from cnet thanks for watching\n"