Nest Wi-Fi, Nest Mini, Pixelbook Go updated during 'Made by Google' event

AppleInsider · October 15, 2019 3:57PM

Google made a number of other announcements at its event on Tuesday alongside the new Pixel 4 and the Pixel Buds, with the stage used to cover a new Nest Mini, the Pixelbook Go, Nest Wi-fi, and updates on the Stadia game-streaming service.

Nest Mini

An update to the compact Google Home Mini, the Nest Mini includes updated speakers and audio, providing double the bass as the original model. The unit also includes proprietary audio tuning software to produce a full and clear sound at all volume levels, regardless of the content.

Proximity sensors detecting the user's hand will light up areas where the user can tap to adjust the volume. The microphone system has also been updated to better handle noisy environments, while the volume of the device will dynamically change based on the presence of background noise.

A new dedicated machine learning chip included in the Mini offering up to one TeraOPS of processing power means some Google Assistant queries are handled locally instead of on Google's servers, with the Mini learning common commands and processing them faster.

Available for preorder now, the Nest Mini costs $49 and will ship on October 22.

Pixelbook Go

The high-performance PixelBook Go measures just 13mm thick and weighs two pounds, making it a thin and light Chromebook for working. Built with a 13.3-inch touchscreen, the PixelBook Go has a new keyboard with quiet "Hush Keys," a grippable case design, and has up to 12 hours of battery life with two hours provided after 20 minutes of charging.

Starting from $649, there are four specification versions available, including the Intel Core m3, Core i5, and Core i7 processors, 8GB or 16GB of memory, between 64GB and 256GB of storage, and either Full HD or 4K Ultra HD displays.

Preorders start today in the United States and Canada, while the United Kingdom's preorders commence in January.

Nest WiFi

The Nest WiFi system consists of two separate devices, with the WiFi Router plugging directly into the home modem while the WiFi unit expands the coverage as a repeater. Offering twice the speed and 25% better coverage than Google Wi-Fi, a two-pack is capable of covering a 3,800 square-foot home, with more Nest WiFi units able to expand coverage further.

Able to be set up via the Google Home app, which can be used to share the guest Wi-Fi password with visitors and to prioritize devices, the app can also be used to manage setups in multiple homes. Family Wi-Fi features can set a schedule for devices and to pause Wi-Fi, as well as to block adult content.

The Nest Wi-Fi point also functions as a Nest Mini, with a built-in speaker enabling access to the Google Assistant.

Preorders are available in the United States with shipments set to start November 4. A two-pack with one router and one access point costs $269, while a three-pack of a router and two points costs $349.

Stadia

Google's Stadia game streaming service will open up to users from November 19. Gamers who preordered the Founder's Edition, which includes the Stadia Controller, a Chromecast Ultra, and three months of Stadia Pro complete with "Destiny 2: The Collection" will be able to play from 9AM PST, 5PM BST, and 6PM CET on that date.

Shipments will begin in the same order preorders were received, with users receiving emails when shipments occur containing a code to activate their Stadia account and Stadia Pro.

NY1822 · October 15, 2019 4:22PM

So the Google Home Mini is now taking on the Nest branding? confusing

crosslad · October 15, 2019 4:30PM

$649 for a Chromebook? They will sell dozens of these. /s

gatorguy · October 15, 2019 4:46PM

crosslad said:

$649 for a Chromebook? They will sell dozens of these. /s

I don't think they'll ever be big sellers. There's so many very good Chromebooks available already. But I've used one for going on 5 years now and it covers every single need I've had at home, other than my dedicated system used for higher end photo-processing. Either my wife or me uses our Pixelbook a couple hours every evening and it's solid.

Cheap for what it is IMO.

ralphie · October 15, 2019 4:46PM

crosslad said:

$649 for a Chromebook? They will sell dozens of these. /s

LOL. I don’t think you understand sarcasm.

gatorguy · October 15, 2019 4:52PM

NY1822 said:

So the Google Home Mini is now taking on the Nest branding? confusing

They began migrating all the Home devices to Nest branding a few months ago. Yup, it can be temporarily confusing but in the long run better off for it.

hmurchison · October 15, 2019 5:05PM

If you have a capable router and new stuff comes that "ISN"T" Wifi-6 just pass it up. There's zero point in investing in a Wifi system that isn't Wifi-6. No on gives a sht about turning off guess networking or Google Mini (which Google gives away during the Holidays).

ols · October 15, 2019 5:13PM

@Google: How about bringing homekit support to nest?

crosslad · October 15, 2019 5:51PM

gatorguy said:

crosslad said:

$649 for a Chromebook? They will sell dozens of these. /s

I don't think they'll ever be big sellers. There's so many very good Chromebooks available already. But I've used one for going on 5 years now and it covers every single need I've had at home, other than my dedicated system used for higher end photo-processing. Either my wife or me uses our Pixelbook a couple hours every evening and it's solid.

Cheap for what it is IMO.

I have one too. It’s okay for writing the odd email or document, not so good though if you have to try and work with a document created on a PC or Mac unless it only contains text. My daughter tried using it for her college work and it couldn’t handle the online resources that had been created in Microsoft Office, even using the web version of Office. Her iPad opened them up with no problems. She has now bought herself a MacBook Air, for not much more than the PixelGo.

AppleExposed · October 15, 2019 5:52PM

Nothing but knockoff products. What a shame. Not surprised considering they own Android.

Nest is the most original product but a shame the Nest team came up with it.

nicholfd · October 15, 2019 6:10PM

hmurchison said:

If you have a capable router and new stuff comes that "ISN"T" Wifi-6 just pass it up. There's zero point in investing in a Wifi system that isn't Wifi-6. No on gives a sht about turning off guess networking or Google Mini (which Google gives away during the Holidays).

Why pass? You have internet speeds that are faster than WiFi-5? (Gb or faster?). Or maybe something on your home network that does > 1Gb?

hmurchison · October 15, 2019 6:24PM

nicholfd said:

hmurchison said:

If you have a capable router and new stuff comes that "ISN"T" Wifi-6 just pass it up. There's zero point in investing in a Wifi system that isn't Wifi-6. No on gives a sht about turning off guess networking or Google Mini (which Google gives away during the Holidays).

Why pass? You have internet speeds that are faster than WiFi-5? (Gb or faster?). Or maybe something on your home network that does > 1Gb?

I'm not jazzed about Wifi 6 from a bandwidth standpoint. What I like of the MU-OFDMA. Not only will it make more efficient use of existing channels but even if you don't have Wifi 6 clients it will still manage the channels far better. I imagine once more benchmarks come out on certified products the primary thing we're going to see are a reduction in network congestion more than extreme bandwidth.

gatorguy · October 15, 2019 8:11PM

ols said:

@Google: How about bringing homekit support to nest?

I would hope sooner rather than later, but there's obviously some reason for the delay whether competitive or simply an Apple/Google disagreement on integrating it. I know Apple users aren't happy about it as evidenced by posts here.

BTW, one helpful upgrade hasn't rec'd much mention yet:

"Your Google Assistant-powered speakers will be able to detect what Google refers to as ‘critical’ sounds such as dog barks or smoke alarms, this then is able to send an alert to your phone.

Home Feed essentially turns your old non-smart tech into smart tech simply be leveraging the abilities of your Nest devices. Notifications will appear via the Google Home app on your smartphone. You are then given the option to listen live to the alert or the recording of the alert or alarm that triggered your device.

If you or the app deems that the alert is an emergency, then it can directly connect you to the emergency services via a pop-up icon.

fallenjt · October 15, 2019 10:02PM

crosslad said:

gatorguy said:

crosslad said:

$649 for a Chromebook? They will sell dozens of these. /s

I don't think they'll ever be big sellers. There's so many very good Chromebooks available already. But I've used one for going on 5 years now and it covers every single need I've had at home, other than my dedicated system used for higher end photo-processing. Either my wife or me uses our Pixelbook a couple hours every evening and it's solid.

Cheap for what it is IMO.

I have one too. It’s okay for writing the odd email or document, not so good though if you have to try and work with a document created on a PC or Mac unless it only contains text. My daughter tried using it for her college work and it couldn’t handle the online resources that had been created in Microsoft Office, even using the web version of Office. Her iPad opened them up with no problems. She has now bought herself a MacBook Air, for not much more than the PixelGo.

That’s what she should’ve done to begin with. I got 2019 Macbook Air at pretty much $650...sort of. Apple had promotion to give free Beat Studio 2 ($350) for buying a Macbook when the Air was released. I got in the link for student purchase at $999 for both. Best deal ever!

gatorguy · October 16, 2019 12:21AM

Another update re:the new Nest Mini. It now allows stereo pairing, distinct left and right channels.

bestkeptsecret · October 16, 2019 5:58AM

Google's Stadia and Apple's Arcade make Stadium Arcadium!!

sirozha · October 16, 2019 10:44AM

nicholfd said:

hmurchison said:

If you have a capable router and new stuff comes that "ISN"T" Wifi-6 just pass it up. There's zero point in investing in a Wifi system that isn't Wifi-6. No on gives a sht about turning off guess networking or Google Mini (which Google gives away during the Holidays).

Why pass? You have internet speeds that are faster than WiFi-5? (Gb or faster?). Or maybe something on your home network that does > 1Gb?

There is no way you can achieve 1 Gbps with a Wi-Fi 5 access point or Wi-Fi router. The speeds that Wi-Fi 5 devices advertise are theoretical speeds that will never be achieved in a real-world scenario. The best you can get is maybe 800 Mbps and only if you are next to the Wi-Fi Router or AP.

If one has a functioning Wi-Fi system, there’s no reason to buy a Wi-Fi 5 system be it newly released mesh system or whatever. Wait a year or so until consumer grade Wi-Fi 6 systems mature.

sjworld · October 16, 2019 11:43AM

sirozha said:

nicholfd said:

hmurchison said:

If you have a capable router and new stuff comes that "ISN"T" Wifi-6 just pass it up. There's zero point in investing in a Wifi system that isn't Wifi-6. No on gives a sht about turning off guess networking or Google Mini (which Google gives away during the Holidays).

Why pass? You have internet speeds that are faster than WiFi-5? (Gb or faster?). Or maybe something on your home network that does > 1Gb?

There is no way you can achieve 1 Gbps with a Wi-Fi 5 access point or Wi-Fi router. The speeds that Wi-Fi 5 devices advertise are theoretical speeds that will never be achieved in a real-world scenario. The best you can get is maybe 800 Mbps and only if you are next to the Wi-Fi Router or AP.

If one has a functioning Wi-Fi system, there’s no reason to buy a Wi-Fi 5 system be it newly released mesh system or whatever. Wait a year or so until consumer grade Wi-Fi 6 systems mature.

@nicholfd is right, you’re not. The limiting factor for homes with WiFi5 is the internet speed itself and not the standard employed by the router. Right now I have an Orbi mesh system with two wired satellites and there seems to be no slowdowns even with 15+ devices connecting to it. The majority of people won’t ever need expensive WiFi6 devices for the coming years. Stop giving bad advice. WiFi5 will work perfectly fine for almost everybody.

Nest Wi-Fi, Nest Mini, Pixelbook Go updated during 'Made by Google' event

Nest Mini

Pixelbook Go

Nest WiFi

Stadia

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