Google’s new Nest Hub packs Soli radar for Sleep Sensing and costs $99

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Goggle has just launched the second-gen Nest Hub smart display that costs $99.99 and is now available for pre-order in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, and Australia starting today. The headlining feature of the new Nest Hub is the Soli Radar hardware inside, similar to the one found inside the Pixel 4 smartphones. And just in case you’re wondering, yes, you can control audio playback by just tapping in the air in front of the display.

Sleep Sensing is an opt-in feature that relies on motion sensing. No cameras involved!

However, the main application of this Soli sensor is Sleep Sensing, an opt-in feature that will track how well you slept by collecting motion data and then offers personalized suggestions as well. The sensor will detect movement and breathing – and will even take into account disturbances such as coughing, snoring, light and temperature changes – to assess the quality of your sleep.


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The Nest Hub will then show a personalized sleep summary each morning, and the sleep data can also be linked to the Google Fit app for a more thorough health log. Based on the usual activity and sleep pattern, the Sleep Sensing feature will also provide personalized bedtime schedules and suggestions on how the sleeping habits can be improved.

Sleep Sensing will be available as a free preview until next year

Do keep in mind that all the tracking is done by motion sensors, and no camera is involved to record the activity of users. Additionally, Google assures that no motion data is sent to its servers, neither it is used for targeted ad placement, and that users can delete their sleep data at any given time. Sleep Sensing, as mentioned above, is an opt-in feature and will be available as a free preview until next year. Google also has plans of integrating it with Fitbit’s sleep-tracking feature, now that the search giant owns it.

The second-gen Nest Hub comes in Chalk, Charcoal, Sand, and Mist colors. Google says it has also increased the bass output of second-gen Nest Hub by 50% compared to its predecessor. The smart display also comes equipped with an on-device chip for machine learning that performs certain Google Assistant tasks locally and will help make the responsive to voice commands faster over time.


Nadeem Sarwar

I’ve been writing about consumer technology for over three years now, having worked with names such as NDTV and Beebom in the past. Aside from covering the latest news, I’ve reviewed my fair share of devices ranging from smartphones and laptops to smart home devices. I also have interviewed tech execs and appeared as a host in YouTube videos talking about the latest and greatest gadgets out there.





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