Google has introduced a suite of new smart home gadgets in its Nest line, including a doorbell and a new router that ditches a battery, a Nest Wi-Fi Pro with support for Wi-Fi 6E, and a completely redesigned Google Home app that’s available as an early preview for those who want to try it out before it’s fully ready.
These new Nest products have been designed from the ground up to integrate with Matter, the forthcoming smart home communications standard that should (in theory) finally bring all of the competing protocols under one unifying umbrella. In other words, setting up a smart home is about to get easier.
The upgrade will be available for a public preview the coming weeks.
The Hello doorbell 2 is hardwired and does not need regular recharging unlike its predecessor, but it does require that your home already have doorbell wiring installed.
The brand new Nest Doorbell reliably captures video, including a 1.3-megapixel color sensor, HDR imagery, a 3:4 aspect ratio for head-to-toe views, and a 145-degree field of view. The new camera is more compact than its predecessor and comes in four different colors. It goes on sale at $180 today (the launch day).
The Nest WiFi Pro mesh router system, the company’s entry into the tri-band WiFi 6E arms race, can act as a Matter hub when the protocol launches and can connect 100 devices per node, for a maximum of 300 connected devices.
According to Google, this system will automatically prioritize high-bandwidth traffic for increased efficiency. A Nest three-pack costs $400 and preorders start today with a launch date of October 27.
Google also overhauled its Home app with an emphasis on Matter support among other improvements. You’ll be able to access any connected camera from the app or from the web. There will also be a new script editor to help you create new automations for your connected devices. The update begins rolling out as a Public Preview in the next few weeks.
