The long-awaited successor to Google’s Nest Hub may finally be taking shape, but if recent code leaks are accurate, it could arrive with an entirely different name.
According to the findings of frequent app reverse engineer @aaronp613, a hidden reference to a device called a “Google Home Display” appears within the Google Home app for iOS. There’s no official announcement or confirmed hardware yet, but the name alone is enough to raise some eyebrows.
Google appears to be steadily moving away from its long-standing Nest brand across its smart home lineup. Recent devices have already moved to the “Google Home” naming convention, including the upcoming Google Home Speaker. If this trend continues, “Google Home Display” will strongly hint at a rebranded successor to the Nest Hub series, rather than an entirely new product category.
That possibility is especially interesting considering how long it’s been since Google last updated its smart display hardware. Google Nest Hub (2nd generation) was launched in 2021, but the category has been virtually stagnant ever since. The Pixel Tablet filled some of the gap by also temporarily acting as a docked smart display, but it couldn’t fully replace the dedicated Nest Hub experience. Many users still rely on the experience.
Despite the silence, Google has not indicated that it will completely phase out smart displays. Last year, Google Home chief product officer Anish Kattukaran reaffirmed the company’s continued commitment to the category. He hinted that more updates will be coming “soon” as Gemini integrates deeper into the smart home ecosystem.
This context makes the “Google Home Display” reference even more convincing. If it’s real, it would likely be the first piece of hardware designed from scratch. This device brings a Gemini-powered experience to a dedicated smart display form factor.
Still, it’s worth treating leaks carefully. App code references do not necessarily make it into the shipped product. Even if this device is in development, it could be months or more before anything comes to fruition.
But for now, this is the clearest sign in years that Google may not have perfected its smart displays yet.
