Google’s New Nest Wifi Router Will Include Google Assistant
Google will release a new WiFi router with Google Assistant built-in according to a report from 9to5Google and will likely be announced at Google’s upcoming hardware showcase in October.
Wifi Assistant
The report states that Google’s next iteration of its Google WiFi router will be called the Nest WiFi which follows the company’s recent product marketing strategy as this spring it renamed its Google Home Hub to Nest Hub. Google will continue to further capitalize on the association between Nest and smart homes by extending it to its new WiFi router.
The biggest hardware change is that while the current Google WiFi multi-pack connects several routers wirelessly, the Nest WiFi will reportedly use one central router with smaller beacons. Those beacons will have microphones and speakers allowing users to interact with Google Assistant through multiple locations across their residence. The main router, however, won’t have this hardware or capabilities.
Adding Google Assistant to the WiFi device will bring additional functions to the voice assistant as well. Users will be able to control internet access by voice command and even pausing it for specific rooms and devices. It’s also supposed to more seamlessly fit into a household, as the Nest WiFi will reportedly offer three color options to adapt to different interior design styles. The new system won’t even invalidate current devices, allowing current Google WiFi devices to mesh with the Nest WiFi system.
Making a Popular Product Smarter
Google wants more consumers adopting its voice assistant and becoming loyal users. One way to do this is to integrate Google Assistant into as many devices as possible. Another way is to facilitate consumer trust with useful products. Adding the Google Assistant to the new WiFi beacons checks both these boxes. Not only is it adding its voice assistant to multiple locations across consumers homes, it also is adding a valuable feature to an already popular product. Across the board, the Google WiFi Mesh Router has nearly perfect five-star reviews from thousands of consumers.
If a consumer is looking for a highly rated Wifi router, Google’s devices are hard to beat. Then, by essentially giving away multiple smart speaker-like devices to people who want a solid mesh router, Google is wedging its voice assistant into even more homes and more points inside them than a smart speaker alone, while encouraging people to add more smart home products. Plenty of people buy routers who might not think to get a smart home kit, but now they will have one built right into their internet access. It’s an easy upgrade and an aggressive play by Google for the smart home market to up its market share in the ongoing voice assistant wars.
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