Image: Google
Today at IFA, Google is announcing a new feature for Google Assistant: Ambient Mode. On a few upcoming Android phones and tablets, this new mode will turn those devices into something like a Google Nest Hub (neé Google Home Hub) display when docked. It will show calendar info, weather, notifications, reminders, music controls, and smart home controls. Also like the Nest Hub smart display, it will automatically show a slideshow from your Google Photos account.
It’s not a new idea; Alexa has been turning tablets into little Echo Shows for a year or so. Google’s version will work on a couple of Lenovo tablets and also — perhaps a little surprisingly — two upcoming Nokia phones. You’ll get many of the benefits of a Nest Hub but in a device…