Trending December 2023 # Google Nest Hub Max Review: Not The Cheapest, But The Best # Suggested January 2024 # Top 13 Popular

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About our Google Nest Hub Max review: The Google Nest Hub Max was provided directly by Google as a short-term loan. I used the Google Nest Hub Max for about five days. I tested it with my many other smart home devices during that time, including my Dish receivers, smart lights, and more.

Update, May 2023: We’ve updated this review to include a new potential alternative from Google itself.

The Google Nest Hub Max arguably has the best sound quality from a smart display so far.

The Google Nest Hub Max features a stereo speaker system comprised of two 18mm 10W tweeters and a 75mm subwoofer, as well as far-field mics for picking up your voice. It probably isn’t going to win over audiophiles, though we found the speaker quality above average for a smart display.

The Hub Max certainly is louder and has much better clarity than the classic Google Home speaker. In most scenarios, we also found that the sound quality was arguably better than the JBL Link View, though the latter is perhaps better for bass-heavy tracks.

For my taste, I say that the Nest Hub Max makes for a wonderful alternative to buying a speaker. This won’t hold true for everyone, and I won’t deny high-end dedicated speakers will offer a better experience. You won’t find a better smart display speaker, though, even if the JBL Link View comes reasonably close.

Google Nest Hub Max: Setting up and making the most of new features

Google smart speakers and displays are typically very easy to set up, which remains mostly true for the Google Nest Hub Max.

The Hub Max’s display will light up on the first boot and ask you to get the phone app. Jumping into the Home app, we were immediately prompted to set up a new device. From there, it was just a matter of following on-screen prompts.

During this process, you’ll be asked if you want to set up extras like camera sensing, voice match, face match, Duo calling, and Ambient Mode. Most of these features are optional, but we highly recommend setting it all up if you want to make the most of your new smart display.

Many of these features aren’t new or exclusive to the Google Nest Hub Max so we won’t go into much detail. Still, a few unique Google Nest Hub Max features are worth highlighting.

Improved video calling via Google Duo

Devices like the JBL Link View and Lenovo Smart Display already featured video calling using Google Duo and so have many newer smart hubs. Still, the Google Nest Hub Max takes things a step further thanks to the 127-degree field-of-view camera that provides super-wide video. It also uses auto-framing technology, so if you move around in front of the camera, it will move around to help keep you in the shot. This is particularly useful if you’re moving around the kitchen or if a child is talking to a grandparent but won’t hold still.

We placed a few video calls during our testing and played around with the tracking. It all worked pretty seamlessly.

We also tested the ability to send quick messages to the Google Nest Hub Max from within the Duo app (which has since merged with Google Meet). Once you record and send a message, it’ll show up on the home screen as a virtual sticky note, perfect if you want to send a quick check-in message to your roommates or family members.

We do lament the fact that only Google Duo is supported for video calling, but we imagine Google’s main objective was to keep things simple so that way even less tech-savvy users can jump right into placing video calls. The fact Google is desperately trying to get folks to use its latest video app also likely plays a pretty significant role. With the news, Google Assistant now supports Whatsapp on the phone; perhaps we could eventually see more options on Hub Max too?

Interestingly the Nest Cam features aren’t part of the initial setup, but Google does alert you about the features’ existence via a card on the home screen. To set up the Nest Cam, you’ll need to head into the Google Home app. From there, follow the on-screen prompts.

Look and talk lets you rest your voice a bit

In May of 2023, Google introduced a new feature to the Google Hub Max called Look and Talk. Essentially the feature locks in your gaze to trigger the assistant, giving you an alternative to saying, “Ok, Google.” In situations where you’re close to the display, this makes a lot of sense and gives you yet another way to interact with Google Hub Max.

Google Nest Hub Max now supports Matter

Matter is one of the biggest developments in the smart home space in recent years. This new protocol lets your smart devices more seamlessly connect to your smart speakers, displays, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, or Apple HomeKit. The whole idea is to make setting up and controlling a smart home something anyone can do instead of just techie enthusiasts like in the earlier days. Despite being four years old, Matter and Google recently brought support for Matter to the Google Home Hub Max, giving it an extra lease on life.

A smart display that’s also a security camera? That’s a heck of a value right there.

Of course, the central feature of any good security camera is the ability to look back at previous recordings. A free account provides this functionality in the Nest app, but some limitations exist. First, you’ll only see snapshots of activity, such as when movement was detected. You’ll also only have access to the last five days of recordings.

The perfect hub for entertainment and information

For most of this review, we focused on what’s new or improved over other Google Assistant smart displays. The Hub Max introduces several improvements, but a lot of the core functionality remains the same. That’s a good thing.

Like other smart displays, the Google Nest Hub Max can do almost everything a smart speaker can do, including setting alarms, reminders, asking about the weather and news, or even streaming music. The addition of visual cues makes all these features even better.

The Hub Max also makes it easy to control your smart home.

The Hub Max doubles as a digital photo frame. You can specify what you want the display to focus on showing, such as recent trips or just pictures of friends and family. Once you’ve set up this feature, it will automatically pull in and update photos from your Google Photos library.

Bottom line, the Hub Max adds several features you can’t find on a smart speaker. Plus, having a touch display means you don’t need to shout at your smart display nearly as much as you do with Google Home.

The Google Nest Hub Max allows you to set an alarm, play your favorite songs, check the weather, and much more via Google Assistant. You can also use it to make video calls with Google Duo. Additionally, the device doubles as a Nest Cam, which is something that sets the Google Nest Hub Max apart from the competition.

The Google Nest Hub Max is worth it, as we think it’s one of the best smart displays on the market. However, if you don’t care about the Nest Cam features, you may want to consider the cheaper Google Nest Hub (2nd generation).

No, you can’t install third-party apps on the Google Nest Hub Max.

Unlike the Google Nest Hub, the Google Nest Hub Max has an integrated camera.

Yes, you can stream shows and movies from Netflix and other streaming services on the Google Nest Hub Max.

Yes, you’ll find the browser on the Google Nest Hub Max that allows you to browse the web.

Although it’s been around for a few years now, the Google Nest Hub Max has not been discontinued. You can still buy it from Google, Best Buy, and many other retailers.

Rumors have it that Google is working on a new Nest Hub device that will be a little different and may make its debut sometime this year. It’s said to offer a detachable screen that will work as a regular tablet. There’s no word on how big the display will be, though.

The Google Nest Hub Max has a larger display (10-inch vs 7-inch) compared to the Nest Hub, supports video calls, and features a built-in Nest Cam. Check out our full comparison for more.

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Google Nest Hub Max: The New Must Have Gadget

Google Nest Hub Max: The New Must Have Gadget What is Google Nest Hub? Google Nest Hub

Google Nest Hub is a smart home hub which is designed to affluence life and make things easier. It is an electronic device that just needs power to turn on and a Wi-Fi connectivity to operate. Once operable, it acts as a digital assistant which can answer your queries and you can get a few tasks done just by asking it to do so.

Google Nest Hub can be purchased from Walmart’s online store for $99.

Google Nest Hub Max

Google Nest Hub Max is slighter bigger at 10-inches and includes a camera that enables the user to make video calls. It is more than just a smart speaker that controls all the smart home devices. It allows the user to use the camera on the device to be used remotely which means you can watch your home on your smartphone. The camera is designed to detect motion and send you an alert via push notifications.

Furthermore, the camera also features facial recognition which means it would identify the person in the room and provide information related. For example, it would read you your schedule, provide weather forecast and play a news summary provided you program it to do so. Apart from the obvious two-way video calling and video messages, it also features gesture detection which means that the camera can perform some functions after capturing your gestures.

What can you do with Google Nest Hub?

Watch your house. With compatible cameras placed around your house, you can watch your house while lying in your bed. This can help you keep an eye on your children, check the garage and even know who rang the bell.

Digital Album. Google has always provided a backup service and even developed the Google Photos app which lets you to store and manage your precious memories. These photos can either be viewed on your computer or TV via Chromecast. With Google Nest Hub, you do not need an external screen as the device contains a built-in touch screen.

Control your Smart Devices. More than 5000 smart devices compatible with Google can be controlled with the help of Google Nest Hub. You can view and control lights, TVs, thermostat and many other devices from a single dashboard.

Use your voice to watch YouTube. Simply say “Hey Google, play Rock music”, and Google Nest Hub plays whatever you wish for. Videos can be watched from YouTube with free access to Pandora and Spotify for music. You can watch MasterChef in your kitchen and try to cook the same recipe.

Your personal Genie (Assistant). Aladdin had a magic lamp which he used to fulfill his wishes. Now this particular Genie doesn’t have the Arabian Nights powers, but it can do a lot, like displays your schedule for the day, set reminders, commute and much more.

Education is Fun. Google Nest Hub gives you visual answers to your questions. It would not only display images relating to the question but also play related videos from YouTube. This feature makes education easier and interesting and will help your child grasp more.

Designed for any room at home. Google Nest hub has an ambient EQ, which helps the device to adjust itself and match the colors and lighting in its environment. This enables the photos on Hub blend seamlessly in with your home decor.

Make voice calls. You can call your family and friends provided that have the Duo installed on their smartphone or tablet. This makes it easier to call or drop a message to your loved ones while carrying out your tasks. And you do not need to use your cellphone, just request Google Assistant and it will take care of the rest.

What more can you do with Google Nest Hub Max?

All the above features listed plus

Make Video calls. Never miss a moment and if you cannot be near your family physically, a video call is the next best option. You can always do that on a smartphone, but it looks even better on a 10-inch screen and you don’t have to hold it everywhere.

Not convinced yet?

Google Nest Hub is undoubtedly, a must-have device that is designed to ease our everyday lives and improve already existing security features. It is also a great source of entertainment as it can stream YouTube and allow video calls. It can be used for learning and act as a visual remote for all your smart home devices. Google Assistant is always on the learning curve and who knows, how many more doors would Google Nest Hub open into our lives as the possibilities with this device are endless.

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About the author

Dheeraj Manghnani

Dheeraj Manghnani is a tech writer who writes about anything that has tech into it. He has written over a 1000 blogs on tech news, product comparisons, error solving and product reviews.

“Not The End Of The Struggle, But An Opening”

“Not The End of The Struggle, But An Opening” Paul Farmer draws record crowd to MLK Day remarks

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With a record-breaking crowd before him and President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration ahead, Paul Farmer celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. (GRS’55, Hon.’59) yesterday by describing King as “a work in progress.”

“If Martin Luther King were here with us today in the flesh, as he is in spirit, he would surely be pleased,” said Farmer, the founder of the international aid organization Partners in Health, at Boston University’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Day celebration. “But he would not regard this momentous event as the end of the struggle, but as an opening, a space, a chance in which the larger social justice agenda might be pursued.

“He was moving forward in his own moral, intellectual, and political path,” Farmer added. “He was changing, and growing, and learning all the time.”

Farmer was the keynote speaker at this year’s BU event, and he drew a crowd that filled the George Sherman Union’s Metcalf Hall to capacity. The theme of the 2009 celebration was The Drum Major Instinct, based on King’s sermon of the same name. In it, King called on his congregation to find the instinct that makes us “all want to be important, to surpass others, to achieve distinction, to lead the parade” and use it to be a leader in love, in moral excellence, and in generosity.

Farmer, a medical anthropologist and physician, discussed the conflicting ideals that King examined in his sermon and encouraged his audience to learn from King’s example by using leadership opportunities for growth and discovery instead of for personal gain.

“We can’t forget that he was a controversial figure in his time — even among his supporters, who couldn’t always see where he was going or how the parts of his program fit together,” Farmer said. “The drum major instinct, if not held in check, might have motivated King to accept positions more palatable to the mainstream media. Today we celebrate his courage and his paradoxical relationship to the drum major instinct. Let us all take inspiration from a man who years after winning the Nobel Prize would seek to learn and grow.”

Peter Fu (CAS’09), one of BU’s Martin Luther King, Jr., Scholars, a group of academically gifted students with leadership abilities, acommitment to social justice, and a record of community involvement whoare given full scholarships by the University, read an excerpt from King’s sermon during the program. The program also included a poem by the student slam-poetry group Speak for Yourself and performances by the Inner Strength Gospel Choir, led by choir director Herbert Jones, and the student group Xception Step Team, which performed both traditional and modern versions of African step dances.

At the end of the program, Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore encouraged audience members to leave flowers and notes at the base of the Free at Last sculpture honoring King on Marsh Plaza, as many students, faculty, and staff did on the day after Obama’s election.

“This statue keeps me strong to my values,” said Khadijah Britton (LAW’10, SPH’10), who said that Farmer’s work inspires her own plans for a career in international health. “It’s a lonely road, and each of us individually is not strong enough to do it without sharing in this type of community.”

Others wrote tributes to Obama, expressed their hopes for the future of the country, or left personal notes for King.

“Happy B-Day,” one note read. “Peace.”

Jessica Ullian can be reached at [email protected]. Photo by Kalman Zabarsky

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Zenfone Max Pro 6Gb Camera Review: Better But Still Falls Short

Asus just launched the 6GB variant of the ZenFone Max Pro M1 (Rs. 14,999) with better camera sensors on both the front and back of the device. Unlike the 3GB and 4GB RAM variants, which packed a 13MP+5MP dual camera setup on the back and an 8MP selfie shooter, the 6GB RAM variant now packs in a 16MP+5MP dual camera setup, along with a 16MP secondary camera up front. On paper, the upgraded specifications look promising, but has the camera actually improved? Let’s jump right in to the camera review and find out:

Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 6GB Camera Review Specifications

Before we delve into the camera performance, let’s take a look at what exactly the 6GB RAM variant of the ZenFone Max Pro M1 packs in the camera department. In keeping with the dual-camera trend, Asus included a dual-camera setup on its original ZenFone Max Pro M1 which has been slightly improved in the new iteration. The top-end device in the Max Pro M1 lineup now includes a 16MP f/2.0 primary sensor with phase detection auto-focus, along with a 5MP f/2.4 secondary sensor for depth sensing. The dual camera setup is complemented with a flashlight, that doubles up as a flash only if you’re really desperate. Up front, the old 8MP selfie-shooter has been replaced by a 16MP f/2.0 sensor up front which is also used by the device for the Face Unlock feature.

Rear Cameras

Performance in Good Lighting Conditions

Another issue that I faced while using the camera is that it takes a long time to focus on the subject, despite having phase detection auto-focus. Here are a few images we captured using the device in good lighting conditions:

Performance in Low-light Conditions

Portrait Mode Performance

The ZenFone Max Pro M1 utilizes the secondary 5MP sensor for depth sensing and it delivers decent portrait shots at times, while really struggling most other times. When the pictures turn out great, they have ample amount of detail, the edge detection is on point and the background blur is quite realistic. However, the camera tends to falter with the edge detection and background blur more often than not, resulting in portrait shots which sometimes even have the subject blurred out. Portrait images captured in low-light are barely usable as they have a lot of noise and focus issues.

Video Recording Performance

Video recording with the ZenFone Max Pro M1 is exactly what you’d expect from a device in this price range – average. The dual camera setup on the back is capable of recording 4K videos, which is nice to see in a budget smartphone, but the performance is just about average. The videos captured using the ZenFone Max Pro M1 aren’t exactly stable and the device even has problems focusing on the subject. In short, you shouldn’t buy the ZenFone Max Pro M1 for its video recording prowess.

Front Camera

Up front, the ZenFone Max Pro M1 has a new and improved 16MP f/2.0 sensor for capturing selfies, which sounds like a great improvement, but in reality feels like a minor update. Compared to the 8MP selfie shooter on the 3GB and 4GB versions of the device, the 16MP shooter on the 6GB variant is just a minor update when it comes to the image quality. The device is capable of capturing okay-ish selfies which are good enough for social media use, but not much else. The front camera also comes with a portrait mode feature, but much like the portrait mode on the main camera setup, the portrait mode images captured by the front camera are inconsistent. Just take a look at the images captured by the front camera and you’ll see what I’m trying to say:

See Also: Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 6GB Review: Is It Any Better?

Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 Camera Review: Definitely Not Budget King Status

Buy from Flipkart (Rs. 14,999)

The Best Instagram Reel Length For Max Engagement

Instagram Reels are a powerful tool for reaching and engaging with your target audience. But how long should your Reels be?

Forget about square-shaped photos. These days, Instagram is a hub for video content, and Reels is leading the shift. Since the Instagram Reels length runs from 15 to 90 seconds, these short videos are a chance to quickly grab users’ attention.

Unlike Instagram Stories, Reels won’t disappear after 24 hours and tend to be much shorter than the standard Instagram Live video.

But how long should an Instagram Reel actually be? Are long-form videos better for engagement and reach, or are you better off sticking to shorter Reel lengths? Here’s why video length matters and how to find the best Instagram Reels length for your audience.

Bonus: Download the free 10-Day Reels Challenge, a daily workbook of creative prompts that will help you get started with Instagram Reels, track your growth, and see results across your entire Instagram profile.

Why does Instagram Reel length matter?

The Instagram Reels algorithm favors Reels that:

Use original audio you create or find on Reels or music from the Instagram music library.

Are full-screen vertical videos. Make sure you stick to that 9:16 aspect ratio!

Use creative tools like text, filter or camera effects.

Reels that are too long might cause your audience to disengage and drop off. This tells the algorithm that your content isn’t interesting enough. Shorter Reels that people rewatch tell the algorithm that your content is valuable and can result in it being shown to new users.

But shorter isn’t always better. If your product demo Reel lasts seven seconds, it might be hard to provide any value to your audience. People won’t rewatch and they’ll skip to another Reel. The algorithm will take this as a sign that your content isn’t engaging.

So what is the best Reels length? You guessed it — it depends.

It boils down to finding the right Reel length for your content and audience. When you nail that, you’ll have a better chance of appearing in new Instagram feeds and increasing your engagement.

How long are Instagram Reels in 2023?

Officially, Instagram Reels can be from 15 to 90 seconds long — that’s if you’re recording your Reel using Instagram’s camera.

However, if you’re uploading Reels through a third-party scheduling tool like Hootsuite, your Reel can be anywhere from 3 seconds to 15 minutes long.

How to set up the length of your Reels

Changing the length of your Reels is simple. The default time limit is 30 seconds, but you can adjust it to 15, 60 or 90 seconds, depending on your preferences.

Here’s how to set up the length of your Reels:

1. Open Instagram and tap the Reels icon at the bottom of the screen.

2. Select the camera icon at the top of the screen to reach your Instagram camera.

3. On the left of the screen, tap the icon with 30 inside.

4. You can then choose between 15, 30, and 60 seconds.

5. Once you’ve selected your time limit, you’re ready to start recording and editing your Reel.

How to schedule a Reel with Hootsuite

Using Hootsuite, you can schedule your Reels to be auto-published at any time in the future. Convenient, right?

To create and schedule a Reel using Hootsuite, follow these steps:

Record your video and edit it (adding sounds and effects) in the Instagram app.

Save the Reel to your device.

In Hootsuite, tap the

Create

icon on the very top of the left-hand menu to open the Composer.

Select the Instagram Business account you want to publish your Reel to.

Upload the Reel you saved to your device. Videos must be between 5 seconds and 90 seconds long and have an aspect ratio of 9:16.

Add a caption. You can include emojis and hashtags, and tag other accounts in your caption.

And that’s it! Your Reel will show up in the Planner, alongside all of your other scheduled social media posts. From there, you can edit, delete or duplicate your Reel, or move it to drafts.

Once your Reel is published, it will appear in both your feed and the Reels tab on your account.

Note: You can currently only create and schedule Reels on desktop (but you will be able to see your scheduled Reels in the Planner in the Hootsuite mobile app).

Start your free 30-day trial. You can cancel anytime.

What’s the best Instagram Reel length for reach and engagement?

Although Instagram is secretive about the ideal Reel length, Adam Mosseri has been clear that Reels themselves are key. Engaging video Reels are now central to the Instagram app experience.

And really, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The best length for Instagram Reels will depend on the type of content you’re posting and your audience’s preferences.

No matter the length of your Reel, the key moment with Reels happens within the first couple of seconds. Here users will decide if they want to keep watching or not — so hook your viewers in from the beginning!

As Mireia Boronat, Senior Content Marketing Executive at The Social Shepherd says, content is key for higher engagement. It’s all about providing the most value to your audience in the shortest time frame possible.

“A good Reel is based on the content itself and not the length. If the content is not engaging and relatable enough, it won’t perform.”

Remember that short Reels also loop more frequently, pushing up your view count and helping more users discover your Reel.

“As a general rule, it’s good to stick to 7 to 15 seconds, as short Reels tend to loop and will count as multiple views. Then, the algorithm picks up that your video is getting many views and pushes it to more users.”

– Mireia Boronat

When in doubt, leave your audience wanting more. They’ll be more likely to keep watching and engaging with your other Reels, sending the algorithm positive signals about your content.

How to find the best Instagram Reel length for your audience

Like most things in social media marketing, it will take trial and error before finding the best Instagram Reel length for your audience. Don’t just post a video for the sake of posting — take time to analyze its performance. You’ll identify your ideal Reel length more quickly

Use these five tips to help you find the best Instagram Reel length for your target audience.

Check what’s working for your competitors

Doing some competitor analysis can help you figure out what’s likely to work for your content too. Look at the type of Reels they’re regularly posting and which ones tend to perform best.

To find any account’s Reels, tap on the Reels icon found on the profile:

Once you’re in the Reels area of the account, you can look at how many views each Reel has:

Now you can get an idea of which of the account’s Reels tend to perform the best. Are they short and relatable Reels? Are they minute-long how-to videos? Take note of the length of those top-performing Reel types.

In the example above, Hootsuite’s most-watched Reel is a short relatable Reel on texts that give social media managers a heart attack.

Source: Instagram

Repeat this process with a few competitors. Soon, you’ll be able to draw some conclusions about which Reel lengths have the best engagement in your industry.

Once you’ve gathered some insights, start building your Reels strategy. Make sure to be original, though — these insights are only inspiration. Then go out there and create something better!

Test different Reel lengths

You can’t identify the best Reel length without experimenting a little. While short Reels might be the safer option, long Reels can also drive engagement and reach. It all depends on the quality of your content and how your audience responds.

Try focusing on short and sweet Reels when you’re just getting started. To date, the most viewed Reel has racked up 289 million views and over 12 million likes — and is just nine seconds long.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Khaby Lame (@khaby00)

If you’ve got a well-defined niche, you can likely get away with publishing longer Reels. Just make sure you’re intentional when choosing which Reels should last 30 seconds plus and which are better off being just 15 seconds.

French pastry chef Pierre-Jean Quino clearly has a highly engaged audience. He regularly publishes longer behind-the-scenes Reels shot in his kitchen.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pierre-Jean Quino (@pierrejean_quinonero)

Social media mentor and trainer Shannon McKinstrie encourages testing wherever possible.

“I have tested and tested and tested, and I would encourage every Instagram user to do the same. Every account is different. And while my longer Reels (45-60 seconds) still do very well, they don’t typically get as many views as my Reels that are under 10 seconds.

But what I have found overall is what it really comes down to is the quality of the content you’re sharing and if it resonates with your audience or not. No matter how long your Reel is, if it’s good content, people will continue to watch (and you’ll see your views go up & up).”

– Shannon McKinstrie

Analyze your past performance

Once you have a few Reels under your belt, review their performance. Which Reel lengths have been most successful for your audience?

Tracking the performance of your Reels can help you understand your wins, learn from what didn’t go so well, and create more of what your audience loves.

When you’re using Insights to evaluate the best Reels length, keep an eye on these metrics:

Accounts reached. The number of Instagram users who saw your Reel at least once.

Plays. The total number of times your Reel has been played. Plays will be higher than accounts reached if users watch your Reel more than once.

Likes. How many users liked your Reel.

Shares. The number of times users shared your Reel to their Story or sent it to another user.

How to view Reels Insights

To view Instagram Insights, go to your profile and tap the Insights tab below your bio:

Remember, Insights are only available for Business or Creator accounts. It’s easy to switch account types in your settings –– there’s no follower count requirement, and any account can switch.

Tap Accounts Reached in the Overview area.

The Reach breakdown is for your account as a whole, including Reels. This shows how Reels contribute to your overall reach and engagement.

You can also see your top-performing Reels for the last seven days. It’s helpful for quickly seeing which recent Reels were most successful.

Source: Instagram

To see insights exclusive to Reels, scroll down to Reels in the Insights overview screen and tap the right arrow next to your number of Reels. Now you can see all of your Reels performance metrics in one place.

You can see the performance of individual Reels by opening the Reel from your profile. Just tap the three-dot icon at the bottom of the screen, then tap Insights.

As you try different Reels lengths, make it a habit to check your Reels Insights in the hours, days and weeks after posting. These metrics will tell you what your audience responds best to.

Source: Instagram

Analyze with Hootsuite

You can also check your performance with Hootsuite, which makes it easy to compare engagement statistics across multiple accounts. To see how your Reels are performing, head to Analytics in the Hootsuite dashboard. There, you’ll find detailed performance stats, including:

Reach

Plays

Likes

Comments

Saves

Engagement rate

Engagement reports for all your connected Instagram accounts now factor in Reels data!

Follow trends for inspiration

Trending Reels are a great indication of what Instagram users want to see while they’re scrolling. Plus, trends are usually tied to a particular sound, which will determine the length of your Reel for you.

Instagram user and podcaster Christoph Trappe posts Reels with his daughter. They often create their Reels around trending audio clips:

“We use trending sounds and see if we can use them to tell a story. Most of our Reels are probably 30 seconds or less.”

– Christoph Trappe, director of strategy at Voxpopme.

Here’s a short Reel (just eight seconds) the duo created based on a TikTok video trend making fun of older generations:

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A post shared by Christoph Trappe (@christophtrappe)

Extra tip: According to Instagram, only 60% of people listen to Instagram Stories with the sound on. That means 40% of users watch without sound! Always add on-screen text and subtitles to help you reach more users.

By following trends, you can see which Reel lengths tend to be best for engagement. Are trending Reels under ten seconds or are they usually over 15 seconds? Experiment with trends to see what content resonates best with your audience and how long these Reels usually are.

Remember, only use trends that are relevant to your brand and audience –– not all trends will be the right fit!

Need help staying on top of trends? Try a social listening tool like Hootsuite Insights. You can set up streams to monitor what people are saying about your brand and identify what’s hot in your niche.

Experiment with different content types

Different types of content will require shorter or longer Reels. Short Reel types may tend to perform best, but it’s not a hard and fast rule. Short Reels may not best for your content type and audience preferences.

Creator SandyMakesSense posts longer travel Reels, usually around 20-40 seconds long. To keep people hooked until the end, she features eye-catching photography and valuable tips, and she speeds up the audio to make it sound faster:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sandy ☀️ Travel & London (@sandymakessense)

Beauty brand Sephora often publishes tutorial Reels that promote their latest products. These Reels are often on the longer side, like this one that’s 45 seconds, nd integrate with their Instagram Shop:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sephora (@sephora)

No matter the Reel length you choose, aim to publish content that entertains, inspires, educates, or motivates your audience. Be sure to review your analytics to see what’s working for you!

Easily schedule and manage Reels alongside all your other content from Hootsuite’s super simple dashboard. Schedule Reels to go live while you’re OOO, post at the best possible time (even if you’re fast asleep), and monitor your reach, likes, shares, and more.

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Galaxy S7 Vs Google Pixel Camera Review : Test The Best

Galaxy S7 vs Google Pixel Camera Review : Test the Best

Google Pixel XL’s camera battles Samsung’s Galaxy S7 in our first of several tests of the best. When the Galaxy S7 (and S7 Edge) first came out, they topped the quality charts for mobile cameras. Now several months old, the S7 family may need to make way for a new emperor of mobile photography in the Pixel.

Google Pixel XL features a Sony Exmor IMX378 image sensor. This means it’s picking up 1.55µm-sized pixels in 12.3-megapixel photos. This camera’s lens has a focal length of 4.67 mm and works with an f/2.0 aperture. Of note is the fact that the Google Pixel XL has the exact same camera setup as the non-XL Pixel. Both models should end up performing exactly the same.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 uses a Sony Exmor IMX260 image sensor. That is to say that our version of the Galaxy S7 has this image sensor – there are also Galaxy S7 units using ISOCELL. Today’s test is on the IMX-toting version of the Galaxy S7, most common in the USA.

First we’ve got a set of photos captured indoors at close range with only yellow light to assist. Here both cameras seem to perform rather similar. You might notice cooler colors in the Pixel XL photo which, in this case, is less accurate than the Galaxy S7.

A photo of grass taken in the afternoon on a clear day shows distinct differences between cameras. Galaxy S7 tends to run warm while the Pixel XL goes a bit cooler. The Galaxy S7 view seems to be sharper than the Pixel XL, too.

Once we get close, we see that the Galaxy S7’s view of the world is sharp. Maybe even too sharp. Compared to the Pixel’s processing, the Galaxy S7’s photo looks over-sharp and unnatural.

In this set of photos taken at dusk, we see that the Galaxy S7 wants to latch on to warmer tones while Pixel XL wants to go cool. This test isn’t super scientific because of the differences in angles and tones vehicles. It does show, though, how well both cameras handle semi-dark scenes with moving objects.

While the Galaxy S7’s photo might end up being more pleasing, the Pixel XL seems to stick more to color accuracy. On the other hand, the Galaxy S7’s result is sharper than the Pixel XL.

Next is a bunch of rocks photographed by the Galaxy S7 (on the left) and the Pixel XL (on the right). While the Pixel XL seems to get color accuracy points in most areas over the S7, the S7 gets sharper in others. Again – pretty much a toss-up here until we get up close and personal.

Once we’re in close, we see that the devil is in the details. The Galaxy S7 seems to get over-sharp in some places, while the Pixel XL stays truer to human sight.

Below is a battle of total darkness and flash LEDs in a closet. The images show how the Galaxy S7 found focus closer than the Pixel XL, while both did find a spot to settle on. While light could be more even, both cameras avoid the total wash-out.

We live in an age where smartphone cameras give even the worst photographer potential. Each successive release of Sony’s image sensors make for better photos. That’s true even here, with two cameras in the same year.