It’s been a while, but we could see a new Nest Audio speaker and a Google Nest Hub Max soon, possibly around Google I/O, which takes place on May 14.
Evidence for this comes from a deep dive into the latest version of the Google Home app by 9to5Google. It revealed mentions of a ‘Nest Hub Max’ alongside a reference to the current Nest Hub Max, along with a mention of ‘Nest Audio’ which shares the same name as the 2020 Google Nest audio smart speaker.
Considering these speakers are already a few years old, it’s not surprising that Google might be eyeing them for a refresh. While capable, we’ve seen a slew of newer audio devices bringing more competition. Google will have to bring something new to the table to ensure it retains its spot on our list of the best smart speakers.
And there’s the kicker. There isn’t exactly a flood of rumors suggesting what the next generation of Nest speakers and hubs could offer in terms of features and upgrades. As 9to5Google notes, ultra-wideband (UWB) connectivity seems like an obvious addition to help “transfer” audio from one device to another. And we’d bet there are improved audio features and streaming options too.
However, with Google going big on generative AI – as seen with the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro – it’s likely that some of these smart features will come to new Nest hardware. We expect things like smart transcription – for example when you’re cooking a new recipe and discussing what ingredients you’re using, but you want to avoid touching a phone or notepad – in addition to smart translation features.
Features like the ability to intelligently build an agenda or come up with a plan for the week based on someone’s calendar and verbal requests could also play a role in generative AI on a new Nest Hub and Nest Audio speaker.
Of course, this is all speculation, and Google could simply release mild updates to the two Nest devices, with very little changing from the user’s perspective. We’ll probably have to wait until at least mid-May before we hear more.