Google says a smarter, Gemini-powered Nest Hub is the future

For the past couple of years, it’s felt like Google’s smart display lineup has been in a drought. With the last Nest Hub refresh happening in 2021 and the Pixel Tablet’s recent discontinuation, the question on everyone’s mind has been a simple one: is the Nest Hub donezo? After months and months of silence, we finally have an answer. In a new interview, Google’s head of Home, Anish Kattukaran, has confirmed that the company is “definitely committed to smart displays.”

Speaking on an episode of The Vergecast, Kattukaran addressed the future of the category head-on. While they cautioned that there’s no “explicit news about smart displays” just yet, their comments painted a very clear and optimistic picture of where Google is headed. Kattukaran sees the smart display as the perfect vehicle for the new, more powerful Gemini for Home AI.

As I see where Gemini for Home is going and Gemini more broadly… for me it feels like almost the ultimate form factor to be able to deliver a really great home experience. So, that’s why we are going to continue to invest in that category…

Kattukaran explained that the combination of a microphone, a speaker, and a screen makes the smart display the ideal multi-modal device for an advanced AI that can both talk to you and show you information visually.

This renewed commitment is a welcome sign for a product category that has felt stagnant for years. For many users, smart displays have struggled to find a compelling use case beyond being excellent digital photo frames and kitchen timers.

While there’s no new “Google Home Hub” (the likely new branding) to preorder just yet, this is the most hopeful sign we’ve had in years. It seems Google is convinced that a truly smart, conversational AI like Gemini can finally unlock the true potential of the smart display, transforming it from a passive screen into a genuinely useful, interactive home companion.