In short: It looks like Google’s Home Hub smart display will be arriving for sale in the UK starting from October 22. This is according to a new leaked EE promotion which confirms the mobile network operator will be stocking the Home Hub from that date. While the promo seems to confirm the availability date in the UK, it does not provide any details on the actual price.
Background: The Google Home Hub is technically still an unannounced device although it has leaked plenty in the last few weeks, and to a point where almost everything that needs to be known about the device, is known. This includes the understanding Home Hub is Google’s own smart display solution to go along with the already available options from Lenovo and JBL. As a result the display employs the use of Android Things and Google Assistant to provide feedback on questions asked, as well as control over other compatible smart products in the home. In many ways, the Home Hub is another smart speaker just like the original Google Home, although with the inclusion of a display to allow for the provision of visual feedback as well as audio. Such as the option to watch videos, view recipes, and more.
Impact: While this was unlikely to be in doubt, the leaked promo does at the very minimum confirm the Home Hub will indeed launch in the UK, as well as the US. Furthermore, if would seem to suggest the launch date will almost immediately follow on from the US availability with little to no time in between, as while Google is expected to announce the Home Hub during its October 9 event, it’s not expected to go on general sale until a week or two after that date. What does remain unclear though is whether the Home Hub will be available to pre-order in the UK before the October 9 date. For example, the Pixel 3 phones launching at the same event are expected to immediately become available to pre-order the same day. If that’s also the case for the Home Hub then it stands to reason the pre-order period will run from October 9 through until October 22.