Fine Tuned: Google Home Mini Vs Nest Mini
The Nest Mini, heir of Google Home Mini, holds the distinction of being the most compact voice assistant in the lineup. It’s been a long-awaited upgrade, but which one comes on top Google Home Mini Vs Nest Mini?
Challenger #1
Google Home Mini
It was the first version, but came riddles with bugs.
VS
Challenger #2
Nest Mini
It’s the new and improved version, but how much did it improve?
Table of Contents
Google Home Mini | Nest Mini | |
---|---|---|
Dimensions | 3.9″ x 3.9″ x 1.6″ | 3.8″ x 3.8″ x 1.6″ |
Streaming | Bluetooth, Google Cast | Bluetooth, Google Cast |
Speakers | 40 mm | 40 mm |
Colors | Chalk, Charcoal, Coral, Aqua | Chalk, Charcoal, Coral, Sky |
Weight (Grams) | 173g | 181g |
Mute | Yes | Yes |
Universal Cable | Yes | No |
Pairable | Yes | Yes |
Built-in Wall Mount | No | Yes |
Buy | Find Best Price | Find Best Price |
#1 – Google Home Mini
The Google Home Mini was designed to be the entry grade option for Google Assistant users. This was due to the smaller speaker size and the reduced price.
They wanted it to be compact, fun, and easy to use. Unfortunately, it was cursed from the very beginning.
It was initially meant to have voice controls, but a glitch at launch made them abandon the idea.
You can still use the touch controls to turn the volume up and down, just not as they first intended.
They use a 40 mm speaker, which isn’t the biggest, so the sound quality leaves little to be desired.
You can use the Home Mini to control smart devices around your home and assist you around the house.
If you’re looking for entertainment devices, your best option is a Google Home device.
What Other People Say
They loved having the answer to all their questions. They brought the device just for a little bit of fun but ended up thoroughly enjoying it. So far, they are still trying to figure out all the fancy commands, but they’re having fun learning how to do it.
Another Customer had brought one for themselves after watching their friends play with them. At first, they thought it might be hard to understand, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. They had it all set up and ready to go in under 40 seconds.
What We Liked
- Looks good
- Affordable
- Great audio quality
- Manages Smarthome devices
What We Didn’t Like
- No Bluetooth
- Limited touch controls
#2 – Nest Mini
Challenger #2
The Nest Mini comes in a very similar design but slightly smaller than the original.
You have four colors to choose from, including Aqua, Sky, Charcoal, and Coral. It also comes with a few more improvements; to start with, the top fabric is made with 100% recycled plastic.
This model now uses a DC jack to charge the device instead of the usual mini USB port.
There’s still no sign of an audio jack, but this addition does come with Bluetooth for audio.
The speaker is still 40 mm, but upgraded technology ensures richer bass and more precise vocals.
They also feature three microphones that help to improve its far-field detection. Is also features Google Ultras sound, which lets the speaker know if anyone is in the room.
What Other People Say
They loved that cold pair the device using Bluetooth to play music through. And the built-in wall mount was an excellent idea; it meant you saved money from buying one. You could also use your voice to pull out specific songs and play them on the speaker.
Another customer couldn’t believe how different the Google Home and the Nest Mini were. You could tell they had improved the quality of the device just by looking at it. They also felt the touch controls worked a lot better than the previous device.
What We Liked
- Affordable
- Better sound quality
- Small size
- High-frequency response
- Alexa
- Auto discovery
What We Didn’t Like
- Weak bass
- Fewer functions than amazon speakers
Things They Have In Common
They both have quite a few things in common, to be honest, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.
The Nest Mini is slightly smaller, and I mean slightly.
They both use the same 40 mm speakers, and they both have a mute button at the side of the machine.
You can also purchase them in the same color, although the nest mini does have two extra colors. Neither of them can play music through an AUX cable, which means yous have to rely on WiFi. But that’s where the similarities stop.
Nest Mini Vs Google Home Head To Head
If you’re trying to figure out which one you should buy, the best thing to do is put the devices head to head. It’s the best way to find out which one is superior.
But this takes a lot of work, so let me do it for you. This is everything you need to know about Google Home Mini and Nest Mini:
Pricing
If you’re looking for a cheaper device, then Google Home Mini is the better option. It’s about $10-$20 less expensive than the Nest Mini, but for a good reason, it has half the amount of features. If you compare price to quality, Nest will win this one, but if you’re on a budget, you will be swayed to the Google Home Mini.
Winner: Tie
Design
They both have a very similar design. They both have a disc shape and covered in fabric. The difference is Nest Mini uses a material made entirely of recycled plastic; it also gives you two extra colors compared with Google home. They also have three warning LEDs to let you know when the Assistants are listening.
There isn’t much difference between the speakers, but I suppose we can give Nest a point for being smaller.
Winner: Nest Mini
Smart Home Control
If I’m perfectly honest, there is no difference; they can control devices around the house using Google Assitant. The most significant difference is the addition of Bluetooth; this allows you to stream music from your phone. Other than that, they have exactly the same functionality.
Winner: Tie
Speaker And Sound
They both use a 40 mm driver, which isn’t that big considering what other brands use. It’s about the size of a large headphone. This wasn’t good news for Google Home Mini, it just different have the power to kick out a reasonable amount of sound.
The Nest Mini came with a big sound upgrade, and although the speaker isn’t any bigger, it uses better technology. Saying that neither of them is that spectacular, but the Nest Mini is better.
Winner: Nest Mini
Controls
When the Google Home Mini was released, it had a range of touch controls. Unfortunately, it didn’t work as intended. Luckily you can still play/pause and turn the volume up and down. They use an ultralight detector to light up the device as your hand approaches it.
Winner: Nest Mini
Features and Hardware
The Nest Mini Added the third Microphone to the system to help improve the farsight ability. Not th speaker can pick out noise more quickly even when there is background noise. In the end, this makes Nest the better option; it’s far more responsive than the previous version.
It also comes with better technology in the speakers and various other features like far-field detection, allowing the speaker to know if someone is in the room.
Winner: Nest Mini
Final Verdict: Google Home Mini Vs Nest Mini
Appearance-wise there isn’t much difference between the two home devices.
You have a few more color options with the Nest, which gives it more beautiful aesthetics.
And although they use the same speaker, the Nest Mini used better technology to provide better quality.
It also performed better at picking out the sound of your voice even when background noise was present.
This was due to the Nest Mini having three microphones instead of two. Overall the Nest Mini is the better of the two home devices by quite a distance.
If you’re looking for a greater selection of smart speaker, I’ve got something for you. Check out this full round-up to find the best smart speaker.
Frequently Asked Questions
- UltraSound
- Far-field detection
- Abient IQ
- Bluetooth technology
- Four Colors
- Better Bass