Google Nest Mini is a smart speaker that can be described as an updated version of the previous Home Mini (2017).
The most important qualities
- Bluetooth 5.0 support: so you can connect it to your phone, tablet or computer (it also has iOS support).
- AI for improved work. The speaker continuously analyzes your commands to make the time necessary to fulfill them decrease.
If you take into account that the Google Nest Mini has the same price as the previous 2017 Home Mini, but has more functions, it should be quite popular.
The announced price is $49
It will be available for order in 2 days on October 22, 2019.
The Good and Bad of Google Nest Mini
After their first use, people immediately noted that the Google Nest Mini sounds better than the previous Home Mini. The Nest Mini can’t compete with more expensive speakers like Apple HomePod, Sonos One, or an average size Google Home. But the difference in sound quality isn’t huge.
The Good
- You can place the speaker on a wall in a convenient place.
- The sound is good for both music and podcasts.
- The volume controls light up, which is beautiful in the dark.
- There’s a button to turn off the microphone.
A big positive is the ability to hang it on a wall without anything extra. It’s convenient and practical.
The Bad
- The sound is only good if you hang it on a wall (if you hold it or if it’s on your bed, it won’t sound great).
- There’s no 3.5 mm jack (it wouldn’t fit).
How is the Nest Mini better than the Echo Dot?
The Google Nest Mini’s sound quality leaves the Echo Dot behind. The low and mid frequencies sound great with the Nest Mini. This is thanks to using walls for resonance which makes the sound more profound. While listening to music with it, it’ll sound nice, not like an indiscernible garble (especially if your songs are in a foreign language). The Ech Dot doesn’t have the same sound quality. Instead, Amazon’s speaker has a flatter, shallower sound.
It’s your choice of what functions will be better for you, but the Nest Mini has a more balanced sound and impressive qualities due to the design choices when compared to the Echo Dot.
The Nest Mini’s design is the same as the previous Home Mini’s The round cloth-covered construction looks wonderful.
The Google Nest Mini comes in 4 colors:
- Black
- White
- Coral
- Sky blue
Google confirmed that the cloth was made from recycled plastic bottles. It looks beautiful and helps the environment. It’s great!
There aren’t many new functions. One is the ultra-sound transmitter under the cloth. It finds your location and can show you where to press to raise or lower the volume with two lights, one on each side of the speaker.
This should’ve been in the first version, but better late than never.
Technical characteristics of the Google Nest Mini speaker
What should you pay attention to when you start using the Google Nest Mini?
- Google changed the connection type from a micro-USB to a 15W power cable. Your old cable won’t work.
- When placing it on your wall, you’ll have to change the orientation of the sensor controls in your “Google Home” app.
The voice functions are the same. It turns on by saying: “Hey Google” or: “Okay Google”. The lights will activate showing that the speaker has turned on.
Features & Characteristics
Speaker
- Height: 42 mm
- Diameter: 98 mm
- Weight: 181 g
- Power cable length: 1.5 meters
Technical characteristics and controls
- Processor: Quad-core 64-bit ARM CPU 1.4 GHz
- Supported OS: Android and iOS
- Controls: reactive sensor controls
- Microphones: 3 microphones with a large working area (you can talk to it from the furthest room, and it’ll hear you)
Connection
- Bluetooth 5.0
- 802.11b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz/5 GHz) Wi-Fi
Items included
- Google Nest Mini speaker
- Power cable and adapter
- Instructions
