According to recent FCC filings, Google has a new product coming up, but nobody knows what it could be. The gadget is referred to as a "media device" under the model number H2B.
As Droid Life notes, that number fits into the naming scheme of Google's Home line of products, which has recently been renamed to Nest. So a new Nest device is coming? Possibly. The original Google Home, Home Max, Home Hub, and the Nest Hub Max were designated H0A, H0B, H1A, and H2a, respectively.
Google Media Device
The filings also reveal that the device is powered by a 3.8V lithium-ion battery, which implies it's something that's portable or at the very least designed to run on backup in case there's no main source available. There's a label on the bottom side of product that hints at a pill shape. There's no indication of the device's dimensions yet.
Oddly, as Android Police notes, no other Home device uses a 3.8V lithium-ion battery for power, which could mean that if it's indeed part of Google's smart speaker lineup, it might end up being radically different from its siblings. There's no mention of "interactive video" in the documents, unlike with the two Hubs' listings. However, the supported bands are similar to the new Hub Max: there's Bluetooth, dual-band Wi-Fi, and Thread.
New Nest Device?
At the moment, everything is purely guesswork. It's possible this is a variation of the existing Hub Max, but the fact that there's no mention of "interactive video" anywhere rejects this assumption. Perhaps it could be a follow-up to either the Home or Home Mini, only one that supports the same bands as the Hub Max to make it a more robust, flexible option for those looking to get a smart speaker.
Why is it powered by a lithium-ion battery, though? Maybe it is indeed a portable smart speaker? Who knows? It might even be similar to, say, the Lenovo Smart Clock, only with an actual battery inside so it can be taken anywhere and doesn't turn off when the power is out.
Since Google has merged its Home and Nest brands, chances are this new product will carry the Nest brand. Still, it could be anything, really. It might even be something for Stadia, Google's forthcoming cloud gaming platform. There's a lot of questions at the moment, so make sure to check back with Tech Times as we learn more about this mysterious new device from Google.
