Nest Hub's future isn't dead yet, says Google's head of Home

What you need to know

• Google's head of Home confirmed the Nest Hub isn't dead but said there's no new smart display news yet.
• Anish Kattukaran hinted that new Nest Hub devices are in development despite no official announcement.
• Google remains committed to smart displays and plans to share more updates in the near future.

It's only been a few days since Google announced Gemini's arrival in Google Home alongside a revamped Home app. In addition to that, the company unveiled a handful of new smart home devices, including a new Nest Cam, Nest Doorbell, and a new Google Home Speaker.

However, one notable absence from the lineup was a new Nest Hub, which led many to believe that Google's smart displays might be on their way out. But it seems that may not be the case after all.

In a brief conversation with The Verge, Google Home's chief, Anish Kattukaran, shared some insight into the future of Nest Hub and smart displays in general. While he didn't explicitly confirm that a new model is in development, his comments strongly suggest that something could be in the works.

Kattukaran said Google is "definitely committed to smart displays," adding that while the company isn't "announcing anything new now," users should "definitely expect that we'll have news to share there."

He also pointed out that smart displays present "an incredible form factor to interact with something like Gemini for Home." With a screen, speaker, and microphone, they "complement a voice modality," allowing users to visualize information and interact more naturally. According to Kattukaran, this makes smart displays "almost the ultimate form factor to deliver a really great home experience."

Smart displays might still have a future at Google

So, while he didn't explicitly confirm that a new Nest Hub is on the way, his remarks suggest Google hasn't abandoned the idea of a smart display entirely. For now, though, there's no concrete sign of active development on such a device.

That said, it's been years since Google last released a new Nest Hub. The first-generation model launched in 2018, followed by the second-generation version in 2021. The company briefly introduced the larger Nest Hub Max in between, but never followed it up.

Then came the Pixel Tablet, which was nothing but a hybrid device that doubled as a smart display when docked, but Google eventually discontinued its next-gen version as well.

It has long seemed like Google was ready to move on from the smart display form factor, but Kattukaran's comments suggest otherwise. And even though the current Nest Hub lineup is set to gain Gemini integration, it's clear the category is overdue for a true next-generation upgrade.