Nest Mini (2nd generation)
"Google's Nest Mini makes an already good device even better and remains the first choice among affordable smart speakers."
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Fast answers
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Adjusts the sound based on background noise
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Environmentally friendly materials
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Affordable price
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The maximum volume could be louder
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Same look as the previous model
This review was updated by Digital Trends editor John Velasco on 04/16/2020.
The Nest Mini (2nd generation) is the newest mini speaker from Google. The Nest Mini was released on October 22, 2019 and offers a number of improvements, including: B. better sound, faster processing and much more to offer the user a better experience than its predecessor.
We tested the Nest Mini to see how it can compete with the rest of the pint-sized smart speaker pack. Here is our full review of the Nest Mini (2nd generation).
Try these new features
wash your hands
It is more important than ever to make sure that you wash your hands properly, especially if the pandemic continues to spread. The Nest Mini offers a brand new feature to help children. They just say "Hey Google, help me wash my hands" and a melody will play from there for 20 seconds to give you a reasonable amount of time to wash your hands.
Find your keys
Isn't it annoying if you've left your keys somewhere at home while you're late for an appointment? With Google Nest Mini, you can track them down using any of Tile's Bluetooth trackers. To track them down, just say, "Hey Google, where are my keys?" From there, Google Assistant reports the last known location.
Stay up to date on COVID-19 news
Getting the latest news about the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic can be life-saving. For this reason, you can get the latest news about the situation by saying, "Hey Google, tell me the latest corona virus news." Google Assistant will then play sound bits from reliable sources.
Same look, but only a few design improvements
The Nest Mini looks almost identical to the Google Home Mini. It is 1.65 inches tall and 3.85 inches in diameter. It has a fabric design and the same rounded shape. The Nest Mini is available in four colors: chalk, charcoal, coral and a new sky color. We received the chalk color for our evaluation.
John Velasco / Digital Trends
The new Mini has some design improvements over its predecessor. Although you may not notice a big difference at first glance, the differences become clearer during the setup process. For example, on the back of the device there is a small cut-out for a screw that you can use to attach it to a wall. The upper part of the Nest Mini fabric is made from 100 percent recycled plastic, while the outer casing is made from at least 35 percent recycled post-consumer plastic. The Nest Mini is slightly heavier than the Home Mini (181 grams vs. 173 grams), and you can feel the quality of the craftsmanship when you hold the Nest Mini in your hand.
Key controls, sensors and connections
The Mini is powered by a 15 watt power supply connected to a DC jack. This is a change from the Mini standard Micro USB connector. Even though it would have been ideal to purchase USB Type C, since the Nest Mini is unlikely to move around frequently, Google is perfectly fine with choosing a proprietary connection. There is no 3.5mm audio jack to connect an external speaker, but Bluetooth support.
Erika Rawes / Digital Trends
The Mini also has a side microphone off slider on the side, so you can turn the microphone off at any time. The volume controls are capacitive touch buttons, but are now on the sides of the device – with associated embedded LEDs to indicate their placement. If you touch each side of the device, the volume will increase or decrease.
However, manual control of the volume is not necessary with the Nest Mini, as the device automatically adjusts the volume to the background noise in the room. We noticed that the Nest Mini produced louder music and reactions during many conversations or when playing television than when the room was completely quiet.
Better sound, but if you put it next to the Echo Dot …
The Nest Mini has a 360-degree sound and the same speaker driver (40 mm) as the Home Mini. With the Nest Mini, however, Google has updated the audio tuning software to improve the sound quality. It is said to have a bass twice as strong without affecting the sound quality.
John Velasco / Digital Trends
When we heard the same songs in full volume on the Nest Mini and on the Echo Dot 3rd generation (with a 1.6-inch driver), there was no doubt that the Echo Dot 3rd generation had a louder sound and had a stronger bass. However, the sound of the Nest Mini was clearer and we could hear every level of music – clear midtones, high notes and bass.
When it comes to speech recognition, the Nest Mini is top notch. It hears commands even in the loudest situations and we believe it outperforms the Echo Dot 3 in this area, although the Dot has four far-field microphones and the Nest Mini only three.
A faster assistant
Google has expanded Nest Mini with a machine learning chip with up to a TeraOPS computing power, with which the device can process commands locally. We absolutely noticed a difference in the response time and quality of the Mini's responses.
John Velasco / Digital Trends
It quickly answers certain questions such as "How much does it cost to remodel my kitchen?" And then listen and answer immediately the following questions such as "How long does it take to renovate my kitchen?". The answers are becoming more useful and more detailed.
A feature-rich device
Google is adding more and more features to its home devices. The Nest Mini can make free calls using Google Duo (it basically acts as a home phone) and you can use it as an intercom to call other Google / Nest speakers at home. In addition, you can use the stream transmission and transfer content (music, podcasts, etc.) with your voice from your Mini to other compatible devices. Google Nest speakers can now control more than 30,000 different smart home devices. You can let the Nest Mini speak multiple languages and more.
Our opinion
We were somewhat surprised that Google waited so long to update its mini speaker, but didn't make any drastic changes to the overall appearance of the device. This is partly because they didn't want to fix what wasn't broken. Google made changes to the Mini only when needed to maintain the affordable price without compromising on design quality.
Is there a better alternative?
It depends on whether. Some people may prefer the Echo Dot 3rd generation (retail for $ 50) or the Echo Dot 3rd generation with LED clock (retail for $ 60) simply because of them prefer the Amazon Assistant, Alexa, or the Amazon Alexa app. Some people think that the Google Home app is not as intuitive and user-friendly as the Alexa app. Amazon's Echo Dot speakers also have a 3.5mm audio output jack, while the Nest Mini doesn't.
The Nest Mini now offers a faster and smarter assistant. Yes, the Echo Dot offers a slightly better app and more options (more speaker selection, better compatibility with smart home products, compatibility with Apple Music, etc.), but the Nest Mini still has a lot to offer for those who like Google Home devices . It's also available online for $ 29, making it a better buy than its predecessor, the Google Home Mini for $ 39.
Do you want more options? Check out our favorite 2019 smart speakers.
How long it will take?
Longevity and longevity are areas where Google Nest speakers are typically successful. In the past, Google routinely makes important updates to its assistant than to its smart speakers. In this way, customers can be sure that their devices are not immediately out of date, as they will be replaced with an updated version a few months later.
Should you buy it
Yes. If you're looking for a powerful, fast, and attractive smart speaker at an affordable price, you won't be disappointed with the Nest Mini.
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