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

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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.

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Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown
Contributing Editor
Digital Trends Contributing Editor Bruce Brown is a member of the Smart Homes and Commerce teams. Bruce uses smart devices…
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