ISSUE 68 • ANDROID ADVISOR 67monitoring your home. Stereo speakers deliver
surprisingly robust sound, while its Ambient EQ
display technology and agility at photo collages help
to make the Nest Hub Max one of the best digital
photo frames I’ve ever tried.
Still, the Nest Hub Max has its flaws, such as the
lack of a physical camera shutter or analogue audio
jacks, while the competing Amazon Echo Show offers
such compelling features as the ability to double as a
Zigbee hub, not to mention Alexa’s superior level of
smart device support compared to Google Assistant.
Design
While its ‘Max’-sized name portends a hulking gadget
that’ll dominate any surface upon which it sits, the
Google Nest Hub Max manages to look and feel
surprisingly svelte given its 10in display. Measuring just
four inches deep, the Nest Hub Max is essentially just a
tablet that’s being propped up by the rounded, fabric-
covered base. The overall result is a smart display that
feels airy and stylish rather than bulky and monolithic.
The 1,280x800 display looks reasonably bright
and sharp, perfectly fine for watching YouTube videos
or for use as a digital photo frame. What’s more
impressive than the screen itself, however, is its
Ambient EQ technology.
Using a light sensor in the top bezel of the screen,
Ambient EQ scans the ambient light and does its
best to match the light and colours in the room.
With Ambient EQ enabled, the Nest Hub Max’s
display blends nicely into its surroundings, with (for
example) your family photos looking as though they’re