Quietly, in the middle of an ordinary summer week, Google let it be known that its Home Max speaker, launched in 2017, is no longer being made, its white and black versions now marked out of stock on the company's own store. The reassurance offered to those who already own one is that software and security care will continue, so the change is less an ending than a narrowing of the road ahead. In the same stretch of days, the Nest Hub Max, the display that sits in the same family of devices, began to take on new work for the people who use it, gaining an early preview of Zoom calling in Austral
Google Home Max Reportedly Discontinued as Nest Hub Max Gains Zoom Calling and Meet Upgrades
The speaker simply will not be restocked.
Mark
So what actually happened to the Home Max?
Mimi
Google told The Verge it's no longer manufacturing it. The white and black models show as sold out on the Google Store. It launched in 2017.
Mark
Do owners need to worry?
Mimi
The report says no. Software updates and security fixes continue, and services shouldn't change.
Luke
Worth noting that the discontinuation comes via one report. We know Google told The Verge it stopped manufacturing, but we don't have a Google statement in this piece, and no reason is given.
Mark
And the Zoom piece?
Mimi
It's an early preview on the Nest Hub Max in Australia, Canada, and the US, for free and paid users. You link your Zoom account and add it to the Calendar invite.
Mark
Why pair it with Meet updates?
Mimi
They're separate announcements, but both are about video calls on the display: a clock, pinning, nameplates, a 2x2 grid for four people, and an overflow menu.
Luke
Be careful about the Meet eligibility. It's tied to specific Workspace and G Suite plans, so not everyone gets those features. And nothing here says when Zoom reaches other countries.
Mark
So what's unknown?
Luke
Why the Home Max ended, whether a successor is planned, and the Zoom expansion timeline. None of that is in the reporting.
Il Polso
- The Home Max has quietly vanished from the Google Store, listed as sold out after Google confirmed to The Verge that production has ended.
- Owners of the speaker are being told not to worry, as software and security updates will keep flowing to devices already in homes.
- Zoom calling has arrived on the Nest Hub Max as an early preview, letting free and paid users join meetings by voice in three countries.
- Setup asks users to link a Zoom account, add Zoom to Google Calendar invites, and then simply speak commands like 'Hey Google, join my next meeting.'
- Google Meet on the display is gaining an in-call clock, pinned participants, and a 2x2 grid for four faces at once, rolling out to eligible Workspace and education customers.
- The open question is whether Zoom spreads beyond its first three countries and whether Google reveals more about the future of its larger speakers.
Quietly, in the middle of an ordinary summer week, Google let it be known that its Home Max speaker, launched in 2017, is no longer being made, its white and black versions now marked out of stock on the company's own store. The reassurance offered to those who already own one is that software and security care will continue, so the change is less an ending than a narrowing of the road ahead. In the same stretch of days, the Nest Hub Max, the display that sits in the same family of devices, began to take on new work for the people who use it, gaining an early preview of Zoom calling in Australia, Canada, and the United States. Together these moves read like a small portrait of how home technology is being asked to grow: some things stop being made, while others are reshaped to serve the meetings and conversations that now fill everyday life.
On the Google Store, the white and black versions of the Home Max now both read out of stock. Google launched the smart speaker in 2017, and according to a report from The Verge, which said the company confirmed the news directly, it is no longer being made. For people who already own one, the message is calm: software updates and security fixes will continue, and nothing about their service changes. The speaker simply will not be restocked.
The same week brought news for the Nest Hub Max, Google's smart display. It has begun receiving an early preview of Zoom calling in Australia, Canada, and the United States, open to both free and paid Zoom users. It joins Google Duo and Google Meet, which the display already supported.
Setting it up takes a few steps: a Zoom account, a link to the device, and Zoom added to the Google Calendar invite. After that, a spoken request is enough, whether that is "Hey Google, join my next meeting" or "Hey Google, start a Zoom call."
Google Meet on the display is also getting upgrades: an in-call clock, pinned participants, nameplates, and a 2x2 grid that shows four people at once, with an overflow menu for everyone else. These are rolling out now to eligible Workspace, G Suite, education, and nonprofit customers.
One product leaves the shelf while another gains new work to do. What remains to be seen is whether the Zoom preview reaches beyond its first three countries, and whether Google says more about its larger speakers.
On the Google Store, the white and black versions of the Google Home Max now carry the same label: out of stock. The smart speaker, which Google launched in 2017, is no longer being made, according to a report from The Verge, which said Google confirmed the news to it directly.
The company's message to people who already own one is reassuring. Per the report, Google will keep supporting the Home Max with software updates and security fixes, and existing users should not see any change in their services. The speaker simply will not be restocked.
The same news cycle brought changes to another device in the lineup, the Nest Hub Max, Google's smart display. It has started receiving an early preview of Zoom calling in select countries. The rollout has begun in Australia, Canada, and the United States, and it is open to both free and paid Zoom users. Zoom joins Google Duo and Google Meet, both of which the Nest Hub Max already supported.
Setting it up takes a few steps. A user needs a Zoom account, has to link it to the device, and has to add Zoom to the Google Calendar invite. From there, the instruction is spoken: "Hey Google, join my next meeting" or "Hey Google, start a Zoom call." The same voice approach applies when opening Zoom, Google Meet, or Google Duo on the display.
Google Meet on the Nest Hub Max is also getting a set of upgrades. An in-call clock, visible by tapping the screen, is meant to help keep meetings on schedule. Users can pin specific participants and see nameplates on participant titles. A new 2x2 grid view shows up to four participants at once, and an overflow menu lists attendees who do not fit in the grid.
The Meet updates are already rolling out to eligible users. Eligibility covers customers on Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, and Enterprise Plus. It also covers G Suite Basic, Business, Education, and Enterprise for Education plans, as well as nonprofit customers.
Taken together, the stories point in different directions: a speaker leaving the shelf while a display gains work-calling features. What to watch is whether the Zoom preview reaches beyond Australia, Canada, and the US, and whether Google says anything more about the future of its larger speakers beyond the confirmation it gave The Verge.
Citazioni salienti
Google is no longer manufacturing the Home Max but will continue software updates and security fixes for it.— Google, as told to The Verge
Vuoi la storia completa?
Leggi l'originale su Gadgets 360 ↗
Technology