Technology
Google can upgrade the Nest Hub by adding Soli Gestures
Google's Nest Hub could have been revamped for the first time since its launch in 2018. The business registered a new "interactive device" at the Federal Communications Commission that will feature screen, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Zigbee support, along with what appears to be Google's Soli radar gesture technology.
Taken together, it appears like Google has some form of modern smart home gadget on the way; as 9to5Google points out, the "interactive device" designation is close to what Google uses for its other smart devices, such as the Nest Hub, Nest Hub Max, Nest Micro, Nest Wifi, and Nest Audio.
Adding Zigbee—a common mobile home networking standard—would help to incorporate every new device into smart home setups. And Soli technology has featured in Google's smart home products previously, including last year's entry-level Nest Thermostat, which uses technology to identify when users are nearby.
According to the FCC disk, the unknown smart unit is rated at the same, wider 58-63.5 GHz frequency range as the Pixel 4, which, unlike the Nest Thermostat, used the Soli technology for motion sensing.
It's possible to envision Google using radar motion gesture technologies on a next-generation iteration of its smaller Nest Hub, which lacks an embedded camera that the larger Nest Hub Max currently uses for identical gestures.
Finally, the Nest Hub is one of Google's oldest smart home devices (having launched back in October 2018). It also predates the usage of the Nest name for Google's smart home products—the device was first launched as the Google Home Hub—so it's presumably due to a refresh.
Unfortunately, the FCC file does not reveal any further detail about the mystery commodity. But if Google is still focused on regulatory registration, we might not have to wait that long.
