No Soli, no Sleep Sensing
Last March, Google introduced the second-gen Nest Hub with improved sound quality and a Soli radar module for features like sleep tracking and gesture controls. Over ten months and plenty of improvements later, the smart display is finally making its way to India — but unfortunately, losing one key ability in the process.
The second-gen Nest Hub is selling for Rs 7,999 (~$110) in India, which is reasonably close to its $99 US price tag. But unlike the Hub you’d buy in the States, units for India will miss out on Sleep Sensing and seemingly even gesture controls. These features rely on the Soli radar module, which has not been cleared for use in the country. Google confirmed this situation to Android Authority, and there’s no current indication that’s going to change. This also means that any upcoming features that rely on Soli won’t be available in India.
None of this should really be that surprising. Back in 2019, Google failed to get the required clearance for the Pixel 4’s Soli module, and as a result the phone never made its way to India. The radar works on the 60GHz band that’s reserved for government and military use in the country. Unless the Indian government decides to open that up for commercial use, Google cannot bring any Soli-based features to its devices in the country. For the second-gen Nest Hub, the company likely disabled the Soli radar module altogether to get the required clearance and comply with local laws.
Nonetheless, if the lack of Sleep Sensing and gesture controls aren’t deal-breakers, interested shoppers in India can get the Nest Hub from Flipkart, Tata Cliq, or Reliance Digital in either Chalk or Charcoal colors. There’s also an offer to snag a Nest Mini in a bundle deal by paying just an additional rupee with your purchase.
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