Google released the original Nest Hub (née Home Hub) in 2018, and we liked it even at $150. That price came down substantially, giving more people a chance to try out what was arguably the best Assistant smart display.

Display The resolution isn't the highest, but this screen gets dim enough for use in a bedroom, and Ambient EQ makes it blend in very well., Performance boost The new Hub is faster, exhibiting fewer slowdowns in the UI than the OG device.

Sleep Sensing again Google has yet to provide me with any suggestions beyond common sense—it needs to do more before Google can charge for it. Medium and large pets will interfere with your tracking if they get on your bed, too.

The Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen)’s sleep sensing abilities, improved smart home UI and refreshed design and make it the best smart display for your bedside. Compared to the original Nest Hub, the Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen) is a more attractive smart display in every way.

Sleek design upgrades, Actionable sleep data, Speedy assistant responses

Sleep sensing can be fickle, Air gestures could work better

Does a cheaper price tag, better audio, and sleep tracking make this a better buy than the original? You bet....

Improved sound with strong bass Intuitive software with regular updates Unique, hands-off way to track sleep Affordable price (not including Sleep Sensing)

Unknown sleep tracking subscription fee in 2022 Missing sleep tracking metrics compared to wearables Google Fit is simple to a fault

The smartest display for the bedroom, but it can't stop my husband snoring

Elegant design, Device-free sleep tracking, Handy gesture controls, No camera, Great price, Thread-enabled

Sleep Sensing won't stay free, Screen too small for some, No camera, Touch screen can be sluggish

The new Nest Hub has all of the great things that we fell in love with in the first generation, including the digital picture frame, controls for smart homes, access to cameras and doorbells, and more.

Two-and-a-half years later , the Nest Home Hub remains one of my favorite smart screens on the market. Maybe that’s a commentary on the rate of improvement in the category, or maybe Google just got things pretty right the first time out.

Ultimately, the new Nest Hub is an improved version of the original with one notable new feature. While Sleep Sensing is technologically impressive and could be useful for some, a potential fee would be hard to swallow.

The new version of the smart display can now track your sleep without a camera—and it gave me fresh insight into some of my sleep habits.

Small enough for a bedside table. Constructed using some recycled plastic. No camera. Performs the usual smart display functions well. Tracks your sleep. Solid speakers and mics.

Sluggish performance. Sleep Sensing feels like it's in beta (and it's free for only a limited time). Recommends downloading Google Fit app for more sleep data.

The smart home’s roots go back far before Google Assistant ever became a virtual assistant in the home, but it wasn’t until the arrival of the Nest Hub in 2018 that we were given a true hub to control the smart home. Since then, we’ve seen countless smart displays released, including a big brother in the Nest Hub Max, which boasted a front-facing camera that diversified its functionality beyond just acting as a smart display. The new Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen) distinguishes itself from any other smart display out there with its sleep-monitoring ability. It’s an addition you wouldn’t necessarily expect, especially in a smart display, but is it enough to make it a proper successor? There was a time when I was tracking my sleep at night, with the help of either a fitness tracker or smartwatch. I found the information they gathered useful, but the reason why I stopped boiled down to two things — they needed to be recharged (daily, in the case of most smartwatches) and having something on my...

Accurate sleep tracking; Tons of data about your sleep; $100 starting price;

Few new features over previous model;

Google Nest Hub is a control panel for your smart home. Now also with sleep sensor and (slightly) better sound.

Perfect as a dashboard for Google Home.

Navigation is not easy on the small screen. The sound is still in clock radio quality. More apps would make it far more useful.