New Google smart home announced at Launch Night In
4 October 2020
30 minutes was all it took for Google to announce its new products at Launch Night In. I’ll focus on the smart home stuff here but they did also release an upgraded version of the Pixel 4a — Pixel 4a 5G. To be fair, I’m a big Amazon fan and don’t have much experience with Google products so I’ll do my best to be objective here. The biggest theme of the event seems to be the emphasis on pastels.
Google’s latest smart speaker — Nest Audio
Nest Audio puts the focus on high-end audio and expanding the Nest ecosystem. It now works with Nest Mini, Google Home, Google Home Max and Nest Hub screens. This is the original Google Home’s successor and Google claims it delivers 50% more bass and 75% more volume compared to the older device. Powering the audio ecosystem is a 19mm tweeter for higher-frequency sound and a 75mm midwoofer to bring the bass.
Nest Audio is made from recycled material and features a cloth finish all around. On the front side there are four LED dots that are used to measure volume and let you know when the Assistant is listening. It’s also larger than the Nest Mini and Google Home. It also comes in the usual light gray and charcoal as well as Sage, Sand and Sky — the pastel theme. Nest Audio will be released on October 5th and is available for preorder now. And best yet it’ll only set you back $99.99.
Chromecast finally gets the update we’ve been waiting for
The new Chromecast finally has a dedicated remote so it looks more like the Fire Stick but is now a full-fledged streaming box. It runs Google TV, which delivers a new layout with a focus on the Google Assistant. The updated design retains the product’s heritage. Google includes an HDMI cable and a wall plug in the box — but they don’t recommend powering the Chromecast from your TV as apparently it needs more power.
The big story though is Google TV. It’s not a relaunch of Google’s legacy service but rather a rebranding of Android TV. It’s launching first on this Chromecast and may work later on other devices running Android TV. The interface has different tabs designed for easy access to content. Along with deep integration with Google’s services, the Google Assistant is front and center with a search tab — you can type searches in or use your voice with the remote. There’s a dedicated Assistant button that you need to press to ask for content, non-TV-related questions and queries. There are also classic control buttons, volume keys and buttons for YouTube and Netflix. My guess is this is Google’s attempt to compete with the Fire TV Cube.
There’s an entire Live TV section that acts as a guide which may be an ideal interface for cord-cutters. Available content includes movies, TV shows, apps and a full library of content. The usual suspects for apps includes Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Peacock, AT&T TV, Sling, YouTube TV and YouTube. You can also access Stadia — Google’s cloud gaming service — but you’ll need a gaming controller.
The new Chromecast is up for order right now for $49.99 in three pastel themed colors: Snow, Sunrise and Sky.
Overall, this looks to be a significant step forward for all these devices. I’d probably be more excited about these if we were a Google Home smart home but as it looks more like just trying to stay competitive with Amazon I’m less than impressed. Though I bet Debbie really likes the color options more than the usual Amazon black or gray. Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to our initial floor plan draft and start working on specific platforms and placement.
