Google LLC today announced an updated home device at its annual I/O conference, which combines the previous Google Home Hub and the Nest Camera into what’s now called the Nest Hub Max.

“The smart home of today is frustrating and fragmented,” Rick Osterloh, Google’s senior vice president of devices, said onstage today. What the Nest Hub Max seems to be is more of an all-in-one device that can bring various services together more than what Google previously offered.

Likely the most attractive thing about the device is the fact it works as both a watchdog and as a kind of security guard. The camera will livestream what it sees in your home to your phone, and it will also be able to recognize your face.

That’s not only a plus on the security side, but because the device knows whom it is looking at, it will personalize the experience, providing relevant messages, reminders or music. Moreover, if motion is detected by the camera when you’re not home, you can receive a notification on your phone.

What isn’t so different from the Home Hub are the basic features. That includes a display for photos that can play services such as YouTube and Hulu. Unfortunately, Netflix is not included. At 10 inches, that screen is slightly larger than the Home Hub, and the speaker has also been improved.

The device comes with a Quick Gestures feature, which allows you to use hand gestures while looking at the camera to pause and resume media. That might be particularly useful in a noisy environment. That camera has a 127-degree field of view, and while you’re video calling, it will automatically zoom in and out as you move around the room, always keeping you in the frame.

What might also be appealing to some people is that camera data never leaves the device, meaning you don’t have to worry about it being a surveillance machine.

The $229 device will arrive sometime in the summer. Google also said it has reduced the price of the Home Hub to $129.

Photo: Google