Skip to main content

Walmart slashes Google Nest Hub cost with a free 2nd-Gen Google Nest Mini

Walmart slashed the cost of the Google Nest Hub smart display by bundling it with a second-generation Google Nest Mini smart speaker. This Google Nest combination is an equally good deal for setting up a new smart home and for expanding existing Google Assistant smart device configurations.

We track Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa-compatible smart home device deals and bundles. The two market-leading platforms account for approximately 85% of the smart home devices in U.S. households. Whether you’re buying Christmas gifts or shopping for Google Assistant-compatible smart home devices for your own home, this bundled deal can help you save $99.

Google makes larger and more expensive smart speakers than the Google Nest Mini and smart displays with bigger screens than the Google Nest Hub, but the lower-priced devices are the most popular. The major differences between these devices and the larger models are in their audio and video quality, but the Nest Mini and Nest Hub have the same functionality as their more costly brand-mates. Amazon has a similar sale for the Echo Show 8 smart display and third-generation Echo Dot smart speaker, but few people would choose a smart-home deal based solely on price. While many third-party smart-home devices are compatible with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, Amazon’s and Google’s smart speakers and displays do not communicate directly with each other.

The Google Nest Hub has a 7-inch touchscreen display, a full-range speaker, and dual-band Wi-Fi for even internet connectivity in all areas of your home. Small enough for use in any room, the Nest Hub is 7.01-inches wide x 2.65-inches deep x 4.65-inches high. The display has an ambient light sensor and will dim or brighten in response to room light levels. Google Assistant and Chromecast are built into the Nest Hub.

You can connect an external Bluetooth speaker to the Nest Hub for stronger audio performance, but there is no wired speaker port. Two microphones with far-field technology can recognize your voice commands, responding to “Hey, Google” or “OK, Google” wake words. The smart display is a “hub” in the sense that you can use it to access, control, and manage a house full of Google Assistant-compatible smart devices.

The Google Nest Hub is a fully functional smart speaker that can answer questions and tell you the news, weather, traffic reports, and sports scores. You can use the Hub to stream audio content from Google and YouTube Music subscriptions and free content and stream TV shows and video if you’re OK at watching a relatively small screen. Common uses for the smart display include weather forecasts, news clips, step-by-step recipes, and displaying your own digital photos and images.

The Google Nest Mini is the second generation of the brand’s entry-level smart speaker. The new generation has stronger audio output with better bass, improved microphone sensitivity, and a mounting slot to hang the device on a wall. The Nest Mini doesn’t have a display, but other than show visual content, the smart speaker has the same functionality as the Google Nest Hub.

The Google Nest Hub lists for $129 and the second-generation Next Mini lists for $49. Instead of the combined $178 list price, however, this bundled deal costs $79, a $99 savings. If you want to add a couple of Google Nest devices to your smart home, this is a great opportunity to take advantage of an awesome price.

Bruce Brown
Digital Trends Contributing Editor Bruce Brown is a member of the Smart Homes and Commerce teams. Bruce uses smart devices…
Google Nest Hub Max vs. Amazon Echo Show
google nest hub max vs amazon echo show

Amazon’s Echo Show has competition from brands like Lenovo, Facebook, and others, but the Google Nest Hub Max is perhaps its biggest competitor.

The Echo Show and the Google Nest Hub Max are the two main options to consider right now if you’re looking at full-sized offerings, as opposed to the smaller, more compact options (think Nest Hub and Echo Show 5) since they offer greater media fidelity and smart home features. Side-by-side, there is no denying that they closely match each other in several key areas -- screen size, sound quality, and price. But, there can only be one that comes out on top. We’ll evaluate both options -- the Nest Hub Max and the Echo Show (3rd Gen) -- to help you find out which smart display is right for you.
Sound

Read more
Google Nest Mini vs. Google Home Mini
Google Home Mini

While the Google Nest Audio and Google Home speakers are full-sized devices, there are two much smaller variants available: The Nest Mini and Google Home Mini. Smaller in size, the two miniature smart speakers are packed with more than enough features to stand toe-to-toe with their bigger brethren. Both the Nest Mini and Home Mini can play music, update Google apps, respond to voice commands, and more. So what makes these two different enough that they're separate products? Read on to find out.

For more information on when the best time to buy is, take a look at our guide to the best Google Home deals.

Read more
Lenovo Smart Display 7 is still the most underrated smart display
Lenovo Smart Display 7 on top of table

The Google Nest Hub has been due for an upgrade for some time now, but I was honestly underwhelmed by the announcement of the Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen). Yes, it breaks new ground for a smart display because of its sleep-tracking ability, which is achieved without an actual camera or wearable to monitor you while you sleep.

There’s a part of me that was hoping for an onboard camera, mainly for the added utility of conducting video phone calls. However, that simply was not the case here. Now that the cat’s out of the bag, the announcement continues to reaffirm my feeling about how the Lenovo Smart Display 7 is one of the most underrated smart displays around.
Video chat over sleep tracking
I know plenty of people who wouldn’t mind a sleep tracker that doesn’t require them to physically wear a watch, band, ring, or some other wearable to bed. They just get in the way and the last thing you want is something feeling all fidgety as you’re trying to fall asleep. In that sense, I can appreciate how some people value the sleep-tracking abilities of the Nest Hub (2nd Gen). If you’re like me and happen to have an odd routine because of cats in the home, one that involves being awakened at 6:30 a.m. and again at 7:30 a.m., you don’t need a gadget to tell you that you’re not getting the best sleep.

Read more