Google Nest Hub Max Leaked: What Is This Thing?

Last year Google started talking about a sort of device called a "smart display." They worked with companies like Lenovo to create devices that'd be essentially a Google Home (a speaker with Google Assistant inside), but with a touchscreen display on its side. Can you imagine explaining this sort of device to a person even a half-decade ago?

The first major release of an Android tablet happened the same year Apple first revealed their iPad. That was essentially the first time most people considered buying or owning a device of that nature. Now, here in 2019, we're at a place where the touchscreen display is so ubiquitous, it seems like a foreign concept to propose buying a tablet at all – especially since such a massive amount of people already own one, or two, or more.

VIA Android Police we've been treated to a sneak peek of what Google's got next. Instead of a new device, Google's got a device that's basically a larger version of something they released before.

This is the Nest Hub Max, a 10-inch touchscreen display mounted on a speaker with microphones and a connection to the internet. It's not really a standard Android tablet, and it's not a desktop machine (it doesn't run Chrome OS), it's something in-between.

The Nest Hub Max was leaked just this afternoon, apparently on accident, by Google, so we don't know all the details on its release just yet. We can safely assume, knowing what we do now, that it'll basically be a Google Home Hub with a larger display. But it'll have Nest branding instead of Google, and it'll be the size of the Amazon Echo Show.

To the lay person, know this: Your feelings of confusion and Principal Skinner-esque "no, it's the children who are wrong" feelings aren't unique. Google and Amazon are doing a very good job selling their voice assistant ecosystems with Alexa and Google Assistant, and they've got a lot of people buying devices they don't need so they can ask said devices what the weather is like outside instead of opening their front shades.

But it had to happen, right? Now that everyone has a device or three, companies like Google, Amazon, and Apple have to get out there and get that cash in other ways. Selling a smart assistant ecosystem into which you'll be locked once you're another several devices deep – that's the key!