Google has been partnering up with some manufacturers to create some hardware, most notably, the Nexus lineup of smartphones and tablets is meant to showcase how the Android operating system should work. More recently, Google decided to start a new line of hardware products called OnHub, they are routers that look very good and improve Wi-Fi connectivity, plus they are controlled in a very simple and easy way. The first one was announced two months ago and the company partnered with TP-Link to build it, but they also announced that they would create another router with Asus in a near future.
Asus has some experience making routers and while the company has improved their designs, those antennas coming out of them doesn’t make them look like something you would want to have decorating your home. Now, the first image of the alleged Asus OnHub has emerged and while there are no details about its features, we get to see the overall design of the device. It’s still cylinder shaped, but its shape is kind of opposite compared to the first OnHub. This time, the top is smaller than the bottom and the light seems to have been moved to the bottom. It looks like it will no longer be a ring of light, instead, it seems to create a reflection on the surface where the router is located. The top looks flat and it carries the Asus logo.
Still, this device looks good enough to be placed on a shelf or a sideboard, as routers perform better at eye level. The Wi-Fi signal from routers located on the floor usually gets weaker in some rooms while placing them a little higher can provide signals that reach twice as far. Google has partnered with Asus to create both generations of the Nexus 7 tablet as well as the Nexus Player, so maybe this closeness between the two companies would make this router to get additional features. Being part of the OnHub platform, we could expect the same simple operation of the router, probably through the current mobile app. It looks like we will have to wait a little longer for additional details of its features as well as pricing and availability.