1 more entrant in the connected home space – Google Home Hub

connected home

The connected home market just got a little crowded. Mere days after Amazon announced updates to its Echo Show, & Facebook followed with its new video communication device ‘Portal’, Google today unveiled its all-new smart display which aims at becoming the hub for your Internet of Things-equipped home.

So what has Google really brought into the battle for the countertop? Let’s examine:

The 1st thing you will probably notice about the Google Home Hub is just how small it is. For a device, with a 7-inch display, it looks quite small. Nothing more than a floating Tablet on a stand. And definitely a lot smaller when you place it side by side with Amazon’s Echo show 2 or Facebook Portal screen which are both 10.1 inch wide. All of which is great if you want a “connected” home.

The smart display is in simple terms Google’s way of combining the features of smart speakers like Google Home with a standard touchscreen that allows you to view pictures, or watch videos & offers a 1-touch control of your smart home devices using Home View a simple visual dashboard.

1 major point that will leave you torn with the Home Hub is the fact that it doesn’t have a camera at all. Which might sound like its no-fun considering the fact that it lacks the video chatting function you get with Echo & Facebook Portal. If you want a completely connected home, this hitch could come in the way.

On the other hand, this is a great idea for those really concerned about privacy. In that case, you will feel more comfortable placing it in your room than the other smart display devices. Google also added a physical mute switch at the back that allows you to disable the device from listening-in if you want to.

What more can it do?

However, Home Hub will still be able to pop up video feeds from your doorbell cameras to let you know who is at the door & respond through the microphone. ‘Home View’, the dashboard from where you control your smart home devices, is neat & simple. 1 of its coolest features is that it shows you specific capabilities of your devices & gives you control over some simple smart home tasks. You can navigate this interface either by devices or by room.

Home Hub is powered by Google Assistant OS, an expanded version of Google Cast & the same interface used on for Lenovo’s smart display unlike the Echo & Facebook Portal that runs on Alexa. It is rumored that Facebook will also add Google Assistant to both Portal & Portal+ later on. Google is stretching its software-to-hardware integration with the addition of features like Ambient EQ which automatically adjust to the brightness of the room in order to make the display look more natural.

Google brought its clever card-based visual style to good use with the Home Hub’s screen it is quite similar to what you get with the recent version of Android TV where you can request a search Online, & you will get chunky cards with top-line information which you can then activate for deeper details. You can also cast information from the device directly to mobile devices thanks to Google’s connected services which makes it possible for household members to connect to their individual phone with voice recognition.

Home Hub supports YouTube, & with Google Assistant voice controls, you should be able to play videos directly from YouTube Music, Pandora, iHeartRadio & Spotify. But you won’t be able to cast video from Netflix or get multimedia Content from Hulu or Amazon Prime Video. Which limits Home Hub’s capability as a multimedia device compared to its other rivals. But that shouldn’t be too much of a bother considering the fact that it is available for pre-order for US $149 which is a fraction of what you pay from Echo2 or Facebook Portal plus at costs of $229 & $349, respectively.

The Home Hub’s interface looks a lot nicer than that of the Echo & has shown some functionality supremacy too. Although downsides such as a less than optimal speaker are anticipated, it will be interesting to see how well it will perform & how it will be received by the connected home enthusiasts once it starts shipping by October 22 this year.

Image Credit: Google

 

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