Could it be leading up to that rumored detachable model?
We’ll be waiting until next year to find out of the tablet teased at Google I/O last week is, in fact, a rumored detachable Nest Hub perfect for games and smart home automation alike. That said, if you’re the owner of a first-gen Nest Hub display, you don’t need to wait to get some tablet-esque enhancements on your gadget. A few months after adding an app drawer to its most recent Hub, Google has returned to bring that same feature to the original model.
As spotted by 9to5Google, first-gen Nest Hub owners enrolled in the Preview Program are getting a new update that adds an app launcher to the home screen. It’s exactly what we saw hit 2nd-gen units back in October, though that upgrade left the original model — originally marketed as the “Google Home Hub” — untouched. If this beta launch is anything to go by, that looks to be changing soon.
Once your device has been updated, you can launch any app on the Hub by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. It’s unchanged from the experience first rolled out last fall, offering app suggestions along with a link to all of the services installed on the Nest Hub.
As part of this beta firmware update, Google has also added a “Fuchsia Version” number in settings, as well as a new Bluetooth menu showcasing devices previously paired with the Hub.
We haven’t seen a new Nest Hub model since the launch of the 2nd-gen sleep tracking model last year, but recent rumors have hinted at a detachable model running Android coming soon. Google showed off a Tensor-powered tablet at I/O that seemed to fit the bill, right down to the white bezel that matches all other Nest Hub products. If the company is combining its smart displays with tablets, adding an app drawer to the UI makes perfect sense.
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