- Amazon is already retailing Echo Show 5 at a price of Rs 8,999 in the country
- Google Nest hub was originally announced back in October 2018
Google Nest HubTech giant Google has announced the launch of its first Nest branded product in India. Dubbed Nest Hub, this first smart display by Google in India will directly compete against Amazon’s Echo Show 5. Interestingly, there is a price gap of only Rs 1,000 between the two products.
Google has announced the launch at a price of Rs 9,999, while Amazon India is retailing its Echo Show 5 at Rs 8,999 in the country. As compared to Amazon’s 5.5 inch screen, Google has equipped its smart display with a seven inch touchscreen. Google said that it will be retailing this smart display via Flipkart, Tata Cliq, Reliance Digital and Croma stores in the country.
Canalys has recently forecast that the worldwide smart speaker installed base will grow 82.4 per cent from 114.0 million units in 2018 to 207.9 million in 2019. The extended ICT industry, as per the research company, should now take note of the size and speed of smart speaker market growth, as well as the rising use of smart assistants.
Powered by stripped-down version of Android
This latest smart display by Google is powered by Android Things ecosystem. This ecosystem is also referred to as a stripped-down version of Android. Google Nest Hub features two far-field microphones, a full-range speaker and a dedicated switch for controlling the mic.
Google Nest Hub comes with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity options. The company has not equipped this smart display with a camera. However, Nest Hub Max, does feature a camera at front. Powered by Google Assistant, the company said that users can engage with the display by giving voice commands.
Canalys senior analyst Jason Low has recently said “Smart speakers and smart displays are relatively new device categories for service entities, and platform vendors have a responsibility to ensure that partners and developers know how to use them and their smart assistants to get the most value out of every interaction with end users.”
