Google Nest Hub Max
BETTER THAN THE OG.
THE NEST HUB Max improves on the original Google-branded smart display in every way. It has a bigger 10-inch screen, better speakers, and an integrated 6.5MP front-facing camera.
The built-in camera has enabled Google to introduce a new “Face Match” feature (currently exclusive to the Nest Hub), which works similarly to Voice Match by personalising content to different users in the house, only by using facial recognition instead of their voice. You can also use the camera for video calls and messages (like the Facebook Portal, it pans and zooms the picture to keep you in the frame), and it recognises gestures for controlling media playback.
But the piece de resistance is the Nest security feature, which turns the Nest Hub Max into a home security system. Using the Nest app on your smartphone, you can check your home’s live camera feed while you’re away and receive notifications whenever it detects sound or motion unexpectedly.
If you splurge for the Nest Aware subscription (which start from $7 a month), it will also continuously record the video feed and save it to the cloud for a certain number of days, as well as send you alerts if it detects unfamiliar faces in the house.
The larger footprint of the Nest Hub Max – roughly the same size as the Amazon Echo Show – limits its placement to bigger spaces and countertops. But given the Nest surveillance function, you’d want to put it in a fairly central area like the kitchen or living room anyway.
The Nest Hub Max offers it all: a great display that legitimately doubles as a photo frame (thanks to Google’s superb Ambient EQ technology), powerful speakers, and a clever security monitoring system that provides peace of mind while you’re not in the house.