Google Nest Hub, Which Can Turn Your HDB into a Smart Home, is Now Available in S’pore

Imagine this: as you wake up in the morning, you say, “Good morning, Google,” and you’ll be able to see your to-do for the day, and whether there’s a jam on your way to work later.

Seeing that the traffic is bad, you said, “Google, turn on the lights.”

The lights in your room would be turned on automatically as you rush to the bathroom. “Google, turn on hot shower,” you said, within seconds, you’re in a hot shower.

Sounds like 2050?

No, it’s actually just 2019. And the best-est part of this?

You’re in an HDB.

Already in Other Countries

When it comes to high-tech devices or services, we Singaporeans are always on the losing end due to our small market.

When everyone else was reading e-books, we were still borrowing books from libraries because Kindle took forever to reach us.

When everyone else was streaming dramas online, we were still trying to “climb Bukit Timah” because Netflix took forever to reach us.

And now, in the US, the scenario I’ve mentioned earlier is already a reality years ago, but in Singapore, only high-SES homes could have that facility.

Not anymore.

Introducing Google Nest Hub.

Google Nest Hub Officially in Singapore

Google Nest Hub was previously known as Google Home Hub. After Google acquired Nest Labs, a company that markets smart home products, in 2014 for a whopping USD$3.2 billion, Google officially entered the smart home market.

In 2018, Nest products were integrated into Google home unit devices, and the Google Nest Hub is born.

So, what is it, and why does it warrant an article?

For a start, if you’ve no smart products in your house, then it’ll just be a high-SES photo frame that can play media as well—kind of like a TV.

But if you’ve a smart home device, like a smart light switch, you connect it to the switch and be like Tony Stark: simply tell Google to turn on the lights and lights will greet you.

The Google Nest Hub is capable of more, of course: from setting morning routines to nighttime routine, it’s basically a tablet that’ll make HDB great again.

And here’s the best-est part.

Affordable

How much do you think it’ll cost? Hundreds of dollars?

Apparently, it’s only at $189—given that a normal tablet would cost more than that, it’s a steal.

But then again, over in the US, people are getting the successor of Google Nest Hub Max—a bigger version with a better speaker and a camera for you to make video calls.

That’s more expensive, but let’s not talk about that since it’ll make us drool even more.

Currently, the Google Nest Hub is available in the Google online store, Challenger, Courts and M1 store in charcoal and chalk colours.

I don’t know about you, but this is going to be my next to-buy.