How to pre-order the new Google Nest Hub (second-gen)

Written by Rachel Murphy, smart home wizard, DIY home renovator, and mom to four.

Updated March 16, 2021

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It’s official: there’s a brand new Nest Hub in town—and it’s available for pre-order now with a release date slated for March 30. The Nest Hub (second-gen) is the first new smart display from Google's smart home brand since the 2019 release of the Nest Hub Max.

Pre-order the Nest Hub (second-gen) at Best Buy for $99.99

Google claims the second-gen Nest Hub offers 50% more bass over the first-gen smart screen, and is built with a machine learning chip (1.2 TeraOPS of processing power) that helps the built-in Google Assistant learn your most common commands and respond to them faster than ever before. It also uses Google’s proprietary Soli Sensing technology that allows you to use gestures to play and pause video—a huge help when you’re cooking. (The Nest Hub Max supports gesture controls, too, but uses the built-in camera to track hand signals.)

Like the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max, the second-gen hub supports popular streaming services like Netflix, YouTube TV, and Disney+ so you can keep up with all of your favorite shows.

As for looks, it’s got an edgeless glass design and is available for purchase in four colors: chalk, charcoal, sand, and mist. The speaker’s plastic parts are made with 54 percent post-consumer recycled plastic and the base of the speaker is wrapped with the same eco-friendly fabric you’ll find on the Nest Mini.

Google's Nest Hub (second-gen) smart display on the kitchen counter — Credit: Nest

One thing carrying over from the first-gen model is the lack of a camera, which is probably for the best because Google is hoping you’ll use the second-gen smart display to help you sleep better at night (a.k.a park it on your nightstand). (For comparison’s sake, the Nest Hub Max has a built-in Nest camera that can also be used to make video calls to friends and family.)

Google claims second-gen Nest Hub will sense when you get into bed, fall asleep, and wake up, and also listens for sounds like snoring and coughing during slumber. After each night, you’ll be able to review a detailed recap of how you slept, including insights into the duration, quality, and consistency of your slumber schedule. The sleep tracking features are optional and can be deleted if you opt-in.

We’ll be giving the latest Nest Hub a full review soon, but if you’re already on board, you can lock yours in starting today. The Nest Hub (second-gen) is expected to hit shelves on Tuesday, March 30.