Echo Show 10 vs Nest Hub Max: Comparing the two biggest smart displays

Both smart displays have 10-inch screens and loads of features. We pit them head-to-head to find out which is the best for your home.
We compare the basics, as well as video calls, sound quality, privacy considerations, extra features and more.
The Nest Hub Max has been around longer. Can it hold off a sizeable challenge from Alexa’s newest gadget, the Echo Show 10?
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[@CNET]

You can buy these smart displays here 👇 Echo Show 10: bit.ly/2UiwRX6 Nest Hub Max: bit.ly/3yYQwdT *CNET may get a commission from these offers.

[@SuzanoSho]

I have a hub Max. The bass is absolutely amazing, especially for such a small speaker. This video does not do it justice at all, which should be obvious considering his verdict in regards to sound quality. And yes, the built in Nest cam is a godsend for security if you want to save a good bit of money...

[@discoverBR]

Yeah but the image quality looks disappointing :(

[@newolympiangod8134]

I got both Google Max Hub for my home office and Echo show 10 for the Dinning room. I love them both.

[@rowancrist4444]

10:00 you can just cut the power of the cam, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and hit the button that looks like a video camera and hit it and it only turns off the camera. hope this helps!

[@user-tu2yz1bm1s]

This failed to mention that Nest Hubs have built-in integrations with Spotify and iHeart for music, and Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, etc, for video playback.

[@moezpadani8088]

I looked at a few reviewers . It boggles my mind how they fail to mention streaming apps. Echo Show is severely limited in app support. Doesn't support paramount plus, Disney. Oh yeah it does have Netflix and prime video support . But doesn't compare to nest hubs capability

[@jordan8342]

The sound sounded way better on the Echo. Did they screw up the editing on the mute/unmute buttons in the vid?

[@HelloDimineata]

I thought the same. Even though I'm not an Amazon fan, their Echo did sound better at every volume.

[@JoshuaKnab]

You can't judge sound based on an audio recording. The microphone it was recorded on, the speakers you are listening on, and KZbin compression all effect how it sounds to you. The only real way to compair sound is in person

[@harikrishnan9850]

The box and rock solution is handy

[@gunny6517]

Ordered the Echo Show 10, GREAT Review and Exercise Demo…. 🇺🇸

[@Me4Evidence]

As a business owner and manager I prefer the Amazon because it shows the date and the time and the weather on the face screen while Google can not show both the date and the time at the same time

[@moezpadani8088]

As of May 26, 2022. Nest hub added that capability

[@travismcleod5078]

Honestly I just like the echo more because of the robotic screen and I'm really into stuff like that. It's cooler and has a physical shudder. The moving screen really came in handy this past holiday season. I was decorating the tree and living room and the screen was able to navigate to wherever I moved to while on a video call. Sucks if u wanna step off cam real quick to pick your nose or adjust your junk tho because the camera and robotics are quick lol

[@gameygoat]

I know, right!🤣 cool feature indeed, though

[@evlnte]

Just got Echo 10 and the convenience of following me around far outweighs the creepy. But the voice sensitivity is lacking. I have to yell really loud for it to understand. Trade in old echo for a discount.

[@icemanjv]

Voice sensitivity is better on previous models?

[@evlnte]

@@icemanjv Oddly, my tiny spot is still the best.

[@naiyahp]

No way I’m getting it in the glacia white

[@TenshiR]

I am shocked how well the spot is at picking up voices. It'll pick up commands 2 floors up in my house.

[@timmturner]

It's adjustable on the Nest, not sure about Amazon's device.

[@charandevapongu2728]

Take a piece of tape and cover the camera on the nest hub and there you go, mic is in and you can still use voice commands .

[@PranavRajagopal]

I like the box and rock solution

[@VideoNOLA]

The tracking shenanigans at 3:30 suggest that the Echo Show 10 can tilt as well as pan, but that is decidedly NOT the case. It only physically tracks left and right, not up and down.

[@GreeniusGenius]

The camera is wide angle, and has digitally zoomed on the footage. Hence it can change the vertical positioning of what the viewer sees in frame.

[@mobrien888]

I don't know about in person but in the video the Google Nest sounded terrible, very tinny and underperforming bass. In the video the Echo Show sounded balanced and clear with good bass response. When the reviewer stated his preference for the Google Nest I thought I had missed something. Maybe judging sound quality through a KZbin video is not the best way to make a judgment.

[@basdfgwe]

I've got a nest hub max the sound is fantastic.

[@skullcrusher_1]

@@basdfgwe I've got the nest hub max as well and yes the bass is definitely there and not as tinny sounding as the video. I can't speak about the 10 as I don't own one....still rocking the original echo show 😂

[@jonathanjuha2329]

QUESTION: My biggest issue with Alexa is that it forces me and my wife to constantly switch profiles if she wants to listen to her Spotify music or me mine. Google recognizes her voice/face and plays from songs her account automatically. Is that only an issue here in Canada? (I added her on my “household” and even contacted Amazon once but couldn’t fix it)

[@jaycorbin5361]

My problem is the same sort of thing but slightly different. Someone else in the house has all the Smart lights and things set up, so it's all their their a account. Unfortunately because of limitations and Amazon's awful profile system, separating my preferences from their is pretty much impossible. It's awful.

[@TomboBrewster]

If the Show had either good KZbin access or easy casting option, it would be worth getting.

[@nicocarone]

I feel like the echo show 10 sound sounded much better

[@SHOman_86]

Lol I know I saw the opposite of everything he claimed

[@PCPJS]

I think the labeling on video when sound was shown are interchanged in editing

[@nicocarone]

@@PCPJS yeah that might be

[@gabyxze1]

as users of GH I want a real upgrade, please add a Zigbee hub technology into your new Nest device. That would be a real improvement.

[@icemanjv]

Te bass on the 10 sounds way better on te video. I defenitely will get the 10, liked more all the features

[@getconnectednow]

The making the host exercise part intrigues us. Nice job @CNET !

[@markdickson3820]

Wow, maybe it sounded different in the room but through KZbin on current iPad Air the Amazon device sounded far better, fleshed out and didn’t have that small device tinny sound. I did like how quickly nest device displayed photos and it did better than I expected following guy around room but Amazon device followed better. I will say I thought Amazon device would walk away with win but it was a lot closer than I thought it would be, still, a win for Amazon I think this time.

[@ProjectFelix]

On this end the Amazon Echo Show 10 sounded way better! I am sure in person the sound quality would be a different experience.

[@maxcolburn8323]

I think the nest sounds better at 100 but the echo sounds better at the other volumes

[@douglasblakeley9194]

I increased the base to max on my Echo 10 and that for me was an improvement . I find that if I activate the Echo and the TV is on, it gets confused as to where to face. Or, it prefers to watch TV?

[@oneileo66]

LoL 🤣😂

[@Pirategod23]

Lol, it’s learning

[@cutlass403]

I think that's pretty cool that the Echo can rotate to follow you! Nice video!

[@blackstarafro2]

I so many questions, but here are a few things i need answering. (1) Can u use it as a nanny cam, in where the notification only goes to my phone and not the display of these devices? (2) Can I put in a memory card and use it as complete security camera, with full features like that human detection yellow box? (3) that is use it with 3rd party video conference software like what's app, tango, Skype, FaceTime, Google call or what ever it is called, and software line zoom? (4) can someone call for help on it? (5) is there slow down with apps, or switching to apps? (6) can I send files and picture through it to other people, or is it similar to how Apple & samsung devices are unable to bluetooth or send things to each other's devices?

[@unfocusedfr]

I think I’m getting both. I have a google home but I just LOVE that Fire stick feel

[@thevoid6756]

I think you messed up the overlay on the audio test. Or you mixed up the audio tracks.

[@DanielDuedu]

Sound quality test A1👍🏾.

[@cadenchurchill4296]

It would be really cool if Apple were to release a HomePod with a proper display! Would love to see what they could do with a smart display.

[@RACAPE]

from my guess, maybe an apple carplay interface tweaked for a home smart display.

[@derekisludicrous9203]

They'd sell the speakers and ai separately

[@koll13_]

It would be very good Quality and would be very expensive

[@cadenchurchill4296]

@@koll13_ True, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s like $700 or something given the HomePod was nearly $500

[@Myshafilza]

Ya and apple gonna sell it $1399

[@billdillon8139]

Good review on both devices. CNET is my most trusted reviewer. Thanks.

[@BlenderStudy]

Congratulations on 3 million subscribers, CNET..!! More than well deserved..!! :)

[@Zinglebarb]

I bought a specific shutter cover for my nest hub max. Cost a few pence

[@angellight5040]

I like the Google hub more, and it better suits my own needs and preferences. I like the flexibility of using more apps and the Google duo seems more practical.

[@ambergarrett2996]

Love your sense of humor.

[@itsmini6175]

The Show probably sounds better to most people, but it’s a little bass heavy for my taste. Plus I find the Google Assistant more helpful

[@camronhagler5998]

You can turn off the camera and not the mic by just swiping up and tapping the camera icon and it will turn the camera off

[@koll13_]

That is a really good tip thank you!

[@alexpaden9320]

who cares about the hubs, thats a sweet house!

[@ontheEdgeB]

Great video! I’ve made my choice lol. Black Friday here I come!

[@gregoryburkhead7813]

What did u get

[@AkhilVaswani]

Echo Show 10 sounded way better

[@adityanagpal265]

After watching this video I ordered show 10 white

[@Davlin617]

The Google nest hub max is way better than the Echo. You guys definitely don't know what your talking about.

[@trenthogan4212]

As a Pro Musician I can say this guy is nuts. The Echo Show 10 sounded vastly superior across the sound spectrum. The nest sounded horrible

[@Dandre181]

What happened to the apple byte

[@TenshiR]

Bryan left to start his own KZbin channel

[@mikecoshan3752]

The nest hub sounded slightly tinny on full volume whereas the echo show didn’t

[@Samcraft108]

That's the mic's problem, as someone who's listened to both the Nest hub does sound much better, much more detailed.

[@stevensanchez1192]

You can't really trust audio quality comparisons through KZbin because so many factors can alter what you hear.

[@nicko9799]

@@Samcraft108 the bass on the nest hub max really struggles when set above 4. Echo show actually has space for the sub to really work it’s magic

[@Iblameyouu]

Wife: hi honey I’m home from the gro-- Man; crab walking in front of a Camera

[@sandervandegarde569]

I dont have either one of these yet, and i'm not sure yet if i wanne go google home of amazon alexa for my main smart home hub. Time will tell. Thank for this video though it was lots of fun watching it.

[@GreeniusGenius]

Alexa has better routines and automations, with regards to smart home functionality.

[@CerinAmroth]

Zoomed in camera views: - Echo Show 10: 4:48 - Nest Hub Max: 6:07

[@htown22m]

Help! I keep looking at Portal Plus alternatives but not finding the right info. Basically I want to buy this for my parents, who retired to Japan, to video call with. I really like the idea that they can read interactive stories on the Portal for my young kids but am not sure if this is also just an easy add on for the other devices. I thought I saw an option for me to add my own digital photos remotely to some sort of shared folder so that my parents can have new photos scroll on a slide show whenever its not being used for video calls. Are all of the options going to require my non-technically inclined mother to have to sign up for Whatsapp, facebook and a Google account to make all of this work?

[@naiyahp]

I’m getting the show 10 in the glacia white on April 22nd

[@RazorBacksFan1980]

Im getting one later this week when that Stimmy money comes in :)

[@naiyahp]

@@RazorBacksFan1980 wow I hope you enjoy it surprisingly I live in the uk so it’s in stock April 22nd

[@CathalMacDonnacha]

What does the echo show use for video calling?

[@pasta-eo5mt]

Since no one has responded in a year, I will: The camera.

[@shaybunnie230]

I need this while cooking and cleaning

[@randygreen007]

I’m definitely migrating away from the Show because of the forced “sponsored” advertising and what amazon calls “cards” that pass useless information they think is important. I got 2 sponsored ads back to back one morning and after 30 minutes with tech support telling me they aren’t changing the policy I decided it’s time to send it on a vacation.

[@desertrider325]

Is there a way I can see more than one of my nest cams live at the same time on the hub?

[@Flemingsofcolorado]

It links to ring cam?

[@naiyahp]

It’s cool not creepy

[@earlsmall4232]

Creepy, yes🙂

[@DJDDT]

I still want a couple Nedt Hubs.

[@jake_lacroix5417]

Echo is better for most things, but I like the UI of the google much better

[@koll13_]

Agreed that is why i picked google

[@itssumanmsk]

I purchased alexa echo show 10 but utterly disappointed. No calling feature many issues.. can some one suggest which is good alexa or google one

[@NarrowPathDoctrine]

One other thing for perhaps some of those on the fence. I realize this is only a small portion of people, but if you use Apple Music as your service of choice and live in Canada, Apple Music is still not available as a default music service on Nest Hubs here in Canada, but is on Amazon devices. I know it is available in the US, but Google would not say when or if it will be available in Canada. That is a deal breaker for me.

[@Sibz]

What is he talking about? The Show sounded MUCH better!

[@Samcraft108]

Remember your listening to an audio recording of speakers, especially as the Nest hub gets louder it would sound tinnier to the mic's, as someone who's listened to both the Nest hub does sound *much* better, much more detailed.

[@Cr7pt0_]

I'm an all Google guy but the Show sounded much better yeah

[@UnknownPerson-xg5hl]

But that was only because of the camera

[@MarkTomeh]

Nest Hub Max sounded better. Much fuller and clearer.

[@1111dotcom]

@@Samcraft108 he didn't say what sounded better, he said max was much clearer and better at max volume. Nonetheless, show was better than max at medium volume.

[@johnshifi]

im not a big fan of alexa but to say that nest sounded better ? that's a joke right ? echo sounds way cleaner not boxy as much as the echo camera quality is better to so as the picture

[@dianned6985]

👍great review and informative thread.

[@beeraydee9079]

Video quality on your call looked significantly better on the Echo Show 10.

[@JuiceBoxScott]

Wow, through the computer I thought the Show speakers sounded much better. It's so hard to tell with KZbin.

[@earlsmall4232]

Liked the review but don't really understand the final conclusion when the Nest Hub seem to win just about every test?🤔

[@4daluvofnikki]

We weren’t watching the same video then.

[@B_Kewl]

Same!

[@koll13_]

I was gonna comment that (I've seen multiple other YT say that the hub one won keep in mind)

[@joosunkmybattleship]

Aside from the product, the burpees segment was enjoyable

[@Glopezane]

Too many damn ads!

[@petrichor259]

Big brother Jeff is watching you.

[@Brian-Outdoors]

I have the 2 echo shows before this one. Both of them are now uselessly slow and why I am done buying Amazon Echo show devices. How is the processor speed of the Nest Hub Max holding up?

[@cdramanomore]

this seems to happen even with their firesticks. I know totally differnt device. resetting them/clearching cache/data doesn't help. I'd almost go with google for my experince with those alone. so I appricite your comment!

[@Brian-Outdoors]

@@cdramanomore I ended up getting the Nest Hub Max and could not be happier. Super responsive for months now. I agree nothing makes the Amazon devices any faster including resetting them to factory and setting them up again. They are junk.

[@vivito352]

In my opinion, the most important thing that should be on these screens is monitoring home cameras, and for some reason this function is not there.

[@mustafalawai2806]

Wow 🤩 Video

[@gurugamer8632]

You have to sign into your account on your nest hub. But what if everyone in the house want to use and control lights , thermostat and view door bell camera alerts? How do you manage the sign ID if you are sharing the nest hub?

[@HatesRacists]

They can download the Google home app.

[@user-tu2yz1bm1s]

You can easily tick a box that allows anyone to issue voice commands on the Nest Hub

[@kylewhitford9370]

The echo show sounded 10x better than the max.

[@sumatralex250]

I wonder if this monitors the growth of the plants I fix behind its screen.

[@pherhalliwel]

I have the echo show 10 and it truly sucks, it never works, never does what u ask and overall is an expensive item that it’s just gonna piss u off and u r gonna end up doing what u asked Alexa to do for u. It’s really THE WORSE

[@Dani_-ec4is]

"Simon said ..." 🤣 🤣 🤣. Definitely "FOR" Amazon (😔), although I'm in Google's ecosystem 🤓.

[@amalik995]

Nest Hub Max bass is wild thats why it sounded muffled sillys

[@QQRREE]

This is where i'm at i went for the nest hub max mainly becaused i hated Alexa for your day the most annoying feature ever . I wanted it for my kitchen to replace the show 8 for that reason . Anyway was really excited after reading the reviews , but that never lasted long . Took ages to set up , you can't say turn on or turn off with the magic word . Does not give info on songs from radio like song or artist . These are features i got used to . The displays is great and provides good sound but i hated it and got frustrated with it , lasted 2 hours and took it back for a refund . So i went and got the show 10 and yes it still has the annoying Alexa for your day but i will live with that . Sound is good but need to adjust the bass slightly . Photos on the display are not as good as the nest but alot clearer than the show 8 . The feature on the moving screen is goodwhen your on video call as you can move about . If you own a few amazon products you won't get on with the nest and visa versa . Well thats what i think . All in all happy .

[@alex-sd]

My main interest is the video chat display. In comparing these side by side, the Amazon wins it by a mile. The 13MP camera is superior to Google's 6MP cam.

[@Brandon-di4ji]

True but the 6MP is more than enough anyway as people often wanna use Google duo to talk instead of whatever Amazon separate video calling app they have! Nobody wants to download Google duo have FaceTime and now have to download Amazon's version of Google duo! People want just facetime and google duo not 10 different apps!

[@DuncanTembo]

Great video, awesome content - I have the hub max, might also get the show 10. BUT - DOES ANYONE know the name of the song used A/B sound test @8:10 ?

[@abhishekgandhi155]

That's Recognition by Thom Frank, Curtis Clacey and Jamie Elder. But the one they played in this video is without lyrics, and I want that version and I couldn't find it. I came back to this video to see where I could find that version but I guess I am out of luck. Let me know if you find it.

[@nikkig5153]

Who is the guy in the video?

[@gerardobusch8888]

Anyone knows if motion sensor works on the Nest Hub Max in unsupported countries? I know that in the Nest Hub its not working and the only explanaition I get is that many features don't work in unsupported countries... A very lame explanation for crippling a device like that and without reason, in my opinion. It is like Google wants Alexa to be the only one working in most countries.

[@DavidSusiloUnscripted]

I’d put mine under a rock.

[@MightOfOgun]

The show 10 CLEALRY has louder and beefier speakers!

[@timmturner]

Chooses smart SPEAKER which sounds and looks worse.... this must be CNET

[@StarDiSaF]

Something that no one's talking about, the browser on the nest hub SUCKS, you can't access most websites, videos need to be repeatedly pressed so it doesn't close and you can't even go full screen, echo show can do all that and more Edit: also KZbin works just fine on the browser

[@sangomiroku3]

Can I use Zoom in Echo Show 10???

[@koll13_]

One thing that i feel is very important, are you going to use Nest or Ring that's important in deciding

[@ge45gecalled39]

does the nest hub max have Bluetooth?

[@koll13_]

Ofc

[@user-hg1wl7ll8w]

Awesome

[@hometechUK]

Echo speakers have always been better quality sounding. That's coming fro a Google home user.

[@daddiesgurl1968]

I will just put a sticker over the camera.

[@yeshwanthkashyap4377]

Awesome video, thanks!

[@SC-sz9ms]

I really want to stay w the google hub max but I think the sound fidelity is garbage compared to the echo.

[@TonyStone3000]

I thought the opposite.

[@amalik995]

KZbin and netflix on nest hub max too

[@ShaneSuen]

Idk which is better but I do know Apple has left the chat 😂

[@GeometryWars]

This is one of the funniest videos ever! Loved this review.