Google debuts a new Nest Doorbell, faster Wi-Fi router and redesigned Home app

2 years ago 107

Seems Google couldn’t wait until Thursday to announce all of its upcoming hardware. In a pair of blog posts this morning, the company announced two additions to its Nest line of smart home products: a new Nest Doorbell and the Nest WiFi Pro.

The latter amps up the company’s dead-simple mesh Wi-Fi offering. The top-line feature here is the addition of Wi-Fi 6E. The “E” there is short for “extended,” a reference to the new 6GHz radio band, which promises speeds “up to two times faster” than the standard Wi-Fi 6.

Beyond that, the core draw of the product remains: an ultra simple setup. Google has done a fine job removing some of the most annoying things about setting up home Wi-Fi. The new hardware maintains that, making the Google Home app the centerpiece of the process, promising the get things up and running in “minutes.”

After setup, the app can run speed tests, share passwords and continue monitoring the network for potential issues. The system will alert you if something like a connection issue arises and work to walk you through the process toward resolution. There are also a number of family-friendly features on board, including content blocking and Wi-Fi scheduling for kids.

The router is made from 60% recycled material by weight and comes in four pastel colors, as part of Google’s bid to make home networking devices a bit less ugly. A one-pack runs $200, the two-pack is $300 and the three-pack is $400 — the latter of which is designed to cover up to 6,000 square feet. Preorders start today and the system ships October 27.

There’s also a new version of the Nest Doorbell. The second-gen wired product stores an hour of “important events” locally, in case of Wi-Fi outage. The camera has been improved to include HDR support for various lighting conditions. That’s available today, starting at $180.

Image Credits: Google

All of that comes as the company announces a long overdue redesign to the Home app in parallel with the release of the Matter 1.0 standard. The new app features fast Matter pairing, which will arrive as an update to its smart speakers, displays and older routers. There are new customization options on board as well, as Anish Kattukaran, group product manager, notes:

For me, I care most about making sure our doors are locked and viewing our security cameras, while my wife loves quick access to the thermostat. With favorites, you can set your own personalized view of the devices, actions and automations that matter most. And this also includes being able to favorite all of your Nest cameras so you can view your livestreams, right when the app opens, no additional taps required.

An update will also be arriving for the Wear OS version of the app, after the Pixel Watch hits the market.