A new Google smart screen could be on the way

Google’s smart display lineup has been left woefully untouched since the Nest Hub (2nd gen) arrived in 2021. But new reports suggest that a smart new Google screen is incoming.

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The news comes courtesy of a reference inside Google’s own app code – Google Home Display – spotted by MacRumors researcher Aaron Perris.

The mystery Google screen’s mention appears in the code alongside existing Google hardware listings, including Chromecasts, Nest devices, and the upcoming Google Home Speaker.

If true, it tracks with Google moving away from Nest branding for some hardware, and the timing makes sense as well. The original Google Home Hub launched in 2018 before becoming the Nest Hub, followed by the larger Nest Hub Max in 2019 and the second-gen Nest Hub in 2021 (pictured above).

Since then, smart displays have mostly been left hanging in limbo, despite Google Home chief Anish Kattukaran saying last year that the form factor still has a future as Gemini becomes a bigger part of the home.

Assuming all the rumours come to fruition, a Gemini-powered Google screen could potentially be far more useful, assuming Google gives it enough polish and doesn’t treat it like another side project. And, it goes without saying, that spotting a product nestled in app code is pretty far from an official confirmation.

Still, with constant rumours of an Apple HomePod with a screen also making the rounds, the next few years could make for some renewed competition for AI-powered smart speakers – especially with the likes of Alexa+ getting in on the smart screen and smart speaker action.

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Esat Dedezade Contributor

About

Esat has been a gadget fan ever since his tiny four-year-old brain was captivated by a sound-activated dancing sunflower. From there it was a natural progression to a Sega Mega Drive, a brief obsession with hedgehogs, and a love for all things tech. After 7 years as a writer and deputy editor for Stuff, Esat ventured out into the corporate world, spending three years as Editor of Microsoft's European News Centre. Now a freelance writer, his appetite for shiny gadgets has no bounds. Oh, and like all good human beings, he's very fond of cats.