Nest Wifi review: A mesh Wi-Fi system and smart speaker mashup for Google Assistant fans

Google’s Nest Wifi isn't breaking new ground by melding a smart speaker with a Wi-Fi access point. Netgear did it better with last year’s Orbi Voice. But if you don’t need the very high performance that Netgear’s high-end mesh networks deliver, Nest Wifi will save you some cash. A two-node system (the router plus one access point) costs $269, compared to $350 for Netgear’s RBK50V kit.

The savings will continue should you decide to expand your network down the road, since each Nest Point (Google’s name for its access points) will cost $149 compared to $200 for each additional Orbi Voice satellite. But there is more to consider than just price tags. If you’re all in on Google’s ecosystem and prefer Google Assistant, the Orbi Voice’s Amazon Alexa delivery won’t float your boat. But if money is less of an issue and you haven’t committed to either digital assistant, Netgear’s product delivers much higher performance at distance. It’s also a far superior loudspeaker, although not necessarily a better smart speaker; again, that depends on your digital assistant preference.

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from PCWorld https://ift.tt/37szfvV