Leak suggests Google Home Display will serve as smart home hub with camera

Google could soon launch a new alternative to the Amazon Echo Hub ($179 on Amazon). That’s because Android Authority has already found references to a Google Home Display in the code of the latest version of the Google Home app. Interestingly, this smart home display apparently has a camera.

According to the app’s code, it can be used as a security camera, similar to a Nest Cam, and can store up to three hours of video footage by default. Those who subscribe to Google Home Premium can instead access videos recorded via motion detection from the last 60 days, or a 24-hour video stream from the past ten days. The built-in microphone is designed not only to record audio for these videos but also to enable voice control, for example, to control a smart home device.

While a video is being recorded, a warning on the display indicates that recording is in progress. So far, no further details are known about the specifications, launch date, or functionality of this Google Home Display. However, it’s reasonable to assume that the Smart Display will serve as a hub for Google’s Gemini AI assistant and, similar to the Amazon Echo Hub, will allow users to control smart home devices linked to Google Home without having to use a smartphone. After Google discontinued the Nest Hub Max, and scrapped the Google Pixel Tablet 2 , this Google Home Display could take on the role of Google’s control center for the smart home in the future.