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Google Nest Audio
View online review whf.cm/NestAudio
£90
Image: Google
Google’s
new Nest-branded smart speaker has gained the suffix ‘Audio’, which suggests the Californian giant is highlighting how splendid its latest voice-activated device actually sounds, rather than what its Google Assistant can help you with.
The redesigned Google Nest Audio feels surprisingly tall and heavy in our hands. Whatever your thoughts on pebble-coloured, fabric-swathed cuboids, here is a second-gen speaker that could never be mistaken for an air freshener. So, will Google’s shot at nominative determinism succeed?
Building bricks
The Nest Audio’s dimensions are roughly that of an upright house brick, but the aesthetic is altogether more calming. There’s no branding or visible controls, apart from a switch around the back of the unit that turns off voice pick-up.