19 Mar
Blog

3 Body Parts That Age Faster Than Your Face

For the most part, targeting the face when battling the signs of aging is what you are aiming for. We think it's time to focus on other parts of the body that can cause years of damage just as quickly, and maybe even faster. Your elbows and knees look dull and rough as you age, thanks to the thick buildup of dead skin on the surface, and your hands and chest area are not as smooth as you once thought they were. But don't worry yet. There are simple, extremely effective tactics to treating these areas with the right skin care ingredients. Here are three areas of the body that are often overlooked and can even age faster than your face – plus the best natural ingredients to look for in your skin care products.

old looking knee

Elbows & knees

Unlike the skin on your face, less attention is paid to the skin on other parts of the body until later in life. All of a sudden, you'll notice the crepe, dry skin on your elbows and knees from years of sun exposure and collagen loss. The skin around your joints is constantly bent and stretched, which ultimately leaves it loose and downright flabby. In addition to years of active use, these areas are usually dry and exposed to the sun in the summer months. This combination of external factors results in skin damage that is damaged by contact with the elements, has a dry texture, and is sometimes saggy.

Our solution:

Your current skin regimen may not be enough to revive the cracked, sandpaper-like elbows and knees that most of us have. If you're wondering how to keep your elbows and knees looking younger, here are some of the best skin care ingredients:

  • Coconut water is a moisturizing and toning ingredient that contains vitamin C, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus.
  • Coconut milk is moisturizing and nourishing and makes the appearance of the skin softer.
  • High in antioxidants, argan oil smoothes and moisturizes the appearance of the skin.
  • Shea butter is a moisturizer that is high in triglycerides and fatty acids. This emollient moisturizing ingredient helps revitalize and repair the skin.
  • Grapeseed oil is an antioxidant that fights free radicals against the skin.

Our Coconut Firming Body Lotion contains coconut, shea butter and grapeseed oil, which makes your skin look tight and firm while ensuring deep and lasting hydration.

We also recommend the Monoi Age Corrective Night Body Cream, which takes on the night shift with its exclusive layer Anti-aging stem cell complex – This ultra-rich night body cream makes the elbows and knees firmer, denser and smoother in the morning.

Chest & neck

The fact is: over time, the skin begins to wrinkle. And as you age, the decrease in collagen and elastin production causes the skin to lose its ability to recover and maintain its shape. Since the skin of the chest and neck is particularly thin, gravity quickly shows signs of age when the skin becomes saggy and wrinkled. Certain habits such as smoking can also wrinkle the skin on your chest, neck, or part of your skin.

Our solution:

The hydration is very effective in preventing and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. As mentioned earlier, shea butter, argan oil, and grapeseed oil are moisturizing and moisturizing ingredients that nourish all areas of the skin including the neck and chest. In addition:

  • Evening primrose oil is a powerful moisturizing ingredient.
  • Jojoba oil supports and hydrates the skin.

Our Monoi Age Corrective Night Cream for face and neck works overnight on your skin in the chest and neck area – nourishes, fills and reduces signs of wrinkles. During the day, you can turn to the Hibiscus Ultra Lift Neck Cream. The Advanced Instant Lift fX The formulation instantly gives the neck and chest wrinkles a firm look, making them look rejuvenated and tightened. The skin of your chest is thinner compared to the rest of your body. So when you apply a throat cream, stretch the product up to your chest to make sure that that sensitive area is also hydrated.

Your hands

The skin is affected by two factors – our age and exposure to the sun over time. The skin of our entire body consists of the epidermis (outermost layer), the dermis (middle layer) and the subcutis (lower layer). The dermis supports the structure of the skin, made up of collagen, elastin, and other fibers that give your skin a smooth, bouncy look.

What is irritating is that no part of the body is more meaningful than your hands, since wrinkles and age spots appear here with age. In an interview with Healthy.com, board certified dermatologist Kally Papantoniou, MD, FAAD says: “Hormonal changes lead to a loss of skin elasticity and volume on the back of the hand. These changes cause the crepe-like appearance of the skin and also make the veins very evident. "

In particular, the gradual loss of oil glands in this area causes the hands to become dry and wrinkled with age. In addition to natural aging, since your hands are exposed most of the time, sun damage is the main culprit in causing the signs of aging to appear prematurely.

Our solution:

Increase hydration and protect the skin by applying a sunscreen that contains moisturizing ingredients. Some of the key ingredients to look for include:

  • Zinc oxide is a natural mineral that blocks UV rays to protect the skin from UV rays.
  • Aloe Vera is a moisturizer that soothes dry skin, soothes the appearance of sun damage, while moisturizing and softening the appearance of the skin.

We recommend our Lilikoi Mineral Defense Sport Sunscreen SPF 30 not only for the entire body, but also to improve the visible signs of aging on your hands. In addition to aloe vera and zinc oxide, this organic formula contains Lilikoi (passion fruit) seed oil, which contains vitamin C and antioxidants to help promote the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Using raspberry seed oil gives your complexion yet another skin repairing ingredient that uses antioxidants to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by fighting free radicals. This mineral sun protection is non-greasy and water-resistant for up to 40 minutes. It is also very effective for outdoor activities such as swimming and high-performance sports.

For more information on tackling the signs of aging from head to toe, visit our spa locator to find an Eminence Organics spa partner near you.

Product selection

Monoi Age Corrective Night Body Cream

Monoi Age Corrective Night Body Cream

VIEW PRODUCT

Lilikoi Mineral Defense Sport sun protection

Lilikoi Mineral Defense Sport Sun Protection SPF 30

VIEW PRODUCT

This article was originally published in November 2016 and has been updated for accuracy and completeness.

30 Oct
Blog

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3: The Same, Only Faster

Lenovo Thinkpad X1 extreme Gen 3 review

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3: The same, just faster

"The ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 is particularly fast because of its components and strikes against laptops with faster processors."

  • Gorgeous OLED display with the best HDR

  • Great keyboard and touchpad

  • Solid build quality

  • Excellent performance

  • Disappointing battery life

  • Expensive

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2 made my list of favorite laptops that I checked for digital trends – and for good reason. It was fast, well built, and featured an outstanding OLED display. Now Lenovo has released the third generation model of the laptop and increased the performance to 11.

Lenovo equips this new model with 45-watt CPUs of the 10th generation from Intel to replace the 9th generation options of the previous version. My ThinkPad x1 Extreme Gen 3 tester wasn't quite as well equipped as my Gen 2 model – it has a Core i7-10850H with vPro this time around compared to a Core i9-9880H – but it still had 32GB of RAM and so on beautiful OLED display.

Note that the Core i9-10885H is still an option and the GPU has been upgraded from an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q to a GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q. The price? A whopping $ 2,404, though this starts at a retail price of $ 4,007. That's a lot of money. Does Lenovo's Gen 3 design still deserve my recommendation?

design

My test device still has a carbon fiber lid, which is part of the optional 4K display. Not only does this add structural integrity, but it also looks more noticeable. The bottom of the case is made of aluminum, with the usual soft-coated ThinkPad plastic for the keyboard deck, making it extremely comfortable to use.

In other words, the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 is outwardly identical to the Gen 2. There is nothing wrong with that. No need to mess around with a good thing as the ThinkPad X1 Extreme has the same ThinkPad aesthetic as always. It's all black with just a few red accents, including the iconic blinking LED above the “i” in ThinkPad on the lid, the TrackPoint nubbin, and the edges of the TrackPoint buttons.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

ThinkPad fans will be very satisfied. It's not as modern as the new Dell XPS 15, however, as the ThinkPad has fairly large bezels. The XPS 15 has tiny bezels that disappear around the 16:10 aspect ratio. The HP Specter x360 15 is at the other end of the aesthetic spectrum. Its gem-cut design calls for attention, while the ThinkPad likes to sit quietly in the shade.

The build quality of the laptop is consistently first class, with a lid that doesn't warp under pressure, very little keyboard flex and a lower case that doesn't bend or twist. It exudes strength and endurance and inspires confidence that it can withstand a blow. My only complaint is that the hinge is stiff and requires two hands to break it open. However, there is no premium laptop that feels more durable than the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 is 0.72 inches thin, almost identical to the 0.71 inch of the XPS 15 and slightly thinner than the 0.79 inch of the Specter x360 15. The ThinkPad weighs 4.0 with the touch display Pounds (3.75 pounds with a non-touch display) compared to the Dell's 4.5 pounds and the HP's 4.23 pounds.

Connectivity remains a strength: a proprietary power port (135 watts), two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 3, and a full-size HDMI 2.0 port on the left. On the right side you'll find two USB-A 3.2 ports and a full-size SD card reader (a welcome touch for creative professionals). The wireless connection is provided via Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1.

I will also find that the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 is upgradeable. The back cover is relatively easy to remove. You can swap out the RAM and use a second SSD slot.

performance

I can't directly compare Gen 3 to Gen 2 due to the differences between the CPU and GPU, but the Dell XPS 15 and HP Specter x360 15 are good comparison devices. The XPS 15 we tested ran with a Core i7-10875H, an 8-core CPU compared to the 6-core Core i7-10850H in the ThinkPad X1 Extreme. The Specter x360 15 is equipped with a 6-core Core i7-10750H, which is clocked a little lower than the CPU of the ThinkPad.

The ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 ran as expected or better. In Geekbench 5, for example, 1,299 points were achieved in the single-core test and 6,372 points in the multi-core test. The XPS 15 scored 1,314 and 7,549 points, while the Specter x360 15 scored 1,237 and 5013 points, respectively.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

In our handbrake test, which encodes a 420 MB video in H.265, the ThinkPad took a little more than two minutes. That was surprisingly close to the XPS 15, which ended up only nine seconds faster despite two more cores and four more threads. The Specter x360 15 was finished in just over 2.5 minutes, making the ThinkPad significantly faster than the difference in clock speed suggests.

In Cinebench 20, the ThinkPad achieved 486 points in the single-core test and 2,888 points in the multi-core test. The XPS 15 was much faster with 488 and 3582 respectively, while the Specter x360 15 held its own against the ThinkPad with 469 and 2523. In this test, Dell's additional cores seem key.

It's worth noting that AMD's Ryzen 4000 chips also compete well with Intel's 45-watt CPUs. For example, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 with the Ryzen 7 4800U took just two seconds longer to complete the handbrake test than the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3, and it scored 482 and 3,255 in Cinebench 20 – it beat the ThinkPad and competed with that XPS 15.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Finally, I ran the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 through our Premiere Pro review, which rendered a two-minute 4K video. It took four minutes and 52 seconds to complete. The XPS 15 finished in five minutes and the Specter x360 15 took more than seven minutes to complete the test. The ThinkPad excelled here and beat the XPS 15 despite the slower CPU and GPU (the XPS 15 uses the non-Max-Q version of the GTX 1650 Ti). My working theory is that Lenovo outperformed Dell in developing a thermal design that can sustain the combined CPU and GPU performance over a long period of time.

In short, the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 is a fast laptop that can meet the demands of the most demanding creative. If your needs lead to more mundane productivity tasks, this is excessive – but is it ever a bad thing to have too much power? I do not believe that.

Play

The ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 can also handle games and competes strongly with the XPS 15 and Specter x360 15. In the 3DMark Time Spy test, the ThinkPad scored 3572 points, compared to the XPS 15 with 3860 and the Specter x360 15 with 2963 Points.

The ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 achieved Civilization VI with an average of 124 frames per second (FPS) with 1080p and medium graphics and 68 FPS with ultra graphics. The XPS 15 managed 114 FPS and 64 FPS, respectively, while the Specter x360 15 ran at 89 FPS and 60 FPS. Again, the ThinkPad outperformed its weight class, beating a laptop with a faster CPU and GPU in a game that relies on both to get the best performance. The same applies to 4K, where the ThinkPad averaged 66 FPS with medium graphics and 36 FPS with ultra graphics, compared to the XPS 15 with 51 FPS and 30 FPS and the Specter x360 15 with 55 FPS and 30 FPS.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

In Fortnite, the ThinkPad averaged 83 FPS with 1080p and medium graphics and 60 FPS with epic graphics. The XPS 15 achieved 74 FPS and 60 FPS, respectively, and the Specter x360 15 achieved 67 FPS and 47 FPS. Each of these laptops fell below 30 FPS at 4K, so I don't need to report the results at that resolution. Fortnite stays best at 1080p on laptops with discrete GPUs in the mid-range.

Next up is Assassin's Creed Odyssey, where the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 reached 52 FPS at 1080p and medium graphics and 30 FPS at ultra-high graphics. The XPS 15 achieved 47 FPS and 26 FPS, respectively, while the Specter x360 15 achieved 40 FPS and 25 FPS. Again, none of the machines exceeded 30 FPS at 4K. It's noteworthy to see that the X1 Extreme Gen 3 averages 30 FPS at ultra high in this game as Odyssey is extremely demanding.

In Battlefield V, the XPS 15 took the lead at 60 FPS at 1080p and medium graphics and 50 FPS at ultra graphics, while the ThinkPad was at 56 FPS and 44 FPS, respectively, and the Specter x360 15 managed 55 GPS and 44 FPS. Once again, 4K was south of at least 30 FPS that we consider playable.

Overall, the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 offers very good performance for a laptop in this category. The fact that it outperformed the XPS 15 in all but one game is impressive. While 4K gaming is not recommended, you'll be happy to use modern 1080p titles with the right graphics settings. Those looking for better gaming performance must consider a gaming laptop.

display

I love OLED displays. They are bright, colorful and without contrast. The ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3's OLED is no different, although it isn't the best OLED display we've tested.

The display of this ThinkPad is not as bright as some OLED panels and reaches 369 nits compared to the 426 nits of the HP Specter x360 15. Both laptops have anti-reflective glass, so that the HP looks a bit brighter. Additionally, the contrast on the Specter was 426,180: 1 compared to 369,390: 1 on the ThinkPad – a meaningless difference in real world usage, but a significant numerical difference nonetheless.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Dell's XPS 15 doesn't use OLED and instead opts for a more traditional IPS display. The brightness was 442 nits, and the contrast ratio reached 1480: 1 (which is excellent for an IPS display). The contrast gap isn't as noticeable in real life as the numbers suggest. Still, the OLED panel in the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 is superior to the Dell XPS 15 when you are viewing movies or high quality photos in a dark room.

Note that according to the specs, Lenovo increases the brightness when running high dynamic range (HDR) content. I noticed this in my tests.

The color gamut is another area in which the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 fell short. It covered 100% of sRGB and 96% of AdobeRGB. This is comparable to the Specter at 100% and 98% and the XPS 15 at 100% of both color bars. It's not a huge difference, but for a creative professional looking for the best AdobeRGB support, these few percentage points might matter.

However, the ThinkPad's color turned out to be accurate with a DeltaE of 0.91 (lower is better in this benchmark). The XPS 15 was 0.65 and the Specter x360 15 was 1.21. All three displays work fine, but the XPS 15's excellent accuracy makes it instantly ready for color-critical work.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

None of this should detract from the ThinkPad's display. It's great in practice. Movies and pictures have a high-contrast, vivid look that slopes off the screen, and the darkest scenes in HDR are clear thanks to the panel's support for Dolby Vision. As with the Gen 2 model, the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 is one of the best devices you can find for watching Netflix in HDR, and it's way better than the other laptops I didn't enable for Dolby Vision.

If OLED isn't your thing, Lenovo has three alternative display options. There are two full HD options with 300 or 500 nits and a 4K IPS panel with 600 nits to choose from. We generally assume they all perform well for their respective prices, but OLED is our favorite.

Audio was a strong point as two downward facing speakers pumped out lots of volume without distortion. The mids and highs were clear and there was even a hint of bass. You can watch Netflix and YouTube videos fine alone or with a few friends, but good headphones are recommended for music as usual.

Keyboard and touchpad

ThinkPad fans are picky about their keyboards, but the X1 Extreme Gen 3 should satisfy. It has nicely shaped keycaps that are just the right size with excellent clearance. Personally, I find the mechanism a bit stiff, but it gives a lot of feedback and a very precise ground effect. If, like me, you like a lighter touch, the HP Specter keyboard might be more your style. However, if you want more feedback while you type, the ThinkPad's keyboard is for you. Oh, and it's leak proof if that matters to you.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The usual TrackPoint node is in the middle of the keyboard and works as expected. However, it forces a pair of buttons, which takes away some space from the touchpad. Speaking of which, the touchpad is a glass-covered Microsoft Precision touchpad that's great for swiping and using Windows 10's multi-touch gestures.

The display on this model is touch sensitive and precise and responsive. Fortunately, it has an anti-wipe coating that resists fingerprints. In this respect, this corresponds to the display of the HP Specter x360 15.

Windows 10 Hello support is provided by a fast and responsive fingerprint reader and an infrared camera with facial recognition support. There is a privacy lock that deactivates the latter. As a result, you may want to configure both methods to log on without a password.

Battery life

Here you pay the price for all this performance and the power-hungry OLED display. Simply put, the battery life of this ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 configuration isn't a forte.

In our demanding Basemark Web benchmark test, the ThinkPad managed about 3.5 hours, which is not terrible for a 45 watt CPU. The XPS 15 lasted 16 minutes less, while the Specter x360 15 didn't even last three hours.

In our web browser test, which is the best indicator of overall productivity longevity, the ThinkPad just exceeded 5.5 hours, which is 80 minutes less than the XPS 15 and 32 minutes less than the Specter x360 15. And in our video test, which is repeated over a Full HD Avengers trailer, the ThinkPad was 6.5 hours, 50 minutes less than the XPS 15, and 11 minutes longer than the Specter x360 15.

These aren't great results, but they are expected. If you want longer battery life, go for one of the Full HD display options. Otherwise you should be prepared to carry the Power Brick around.

Our opinion

Lenovo kept the best of the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2 and made it faster. That makes the Gen 3 model an incremental, yet meaningful, upgrade that simply improves on what was already an excellent 15-inch laptop.

Granted, it's most appealing to ThinkPad fans, and there's nothing wrong with that. If you are looking for a laptop that is as powerful as any other in its class, the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 is a great choice.

Are there alternatives?

The Dell XPS 15 is the ThinkPad's most obvious competitor. They are both powerful, thin, and light, and well-built 15-inch machines that appeal to the same type of users. The XPS 15 gives you a 16:10 display and a more modern look and feel, but the ThinkPad has the better performance.

If you're a 2-in-1 gamer, the Specter x360 15 is an excellent choice. It's not that fast, but it has a sleeker look, a slightly better OLED display (unless you're watching Netflix in HDR), and the flexibility of a 2-in-1 device. The Specter is also several hundred dollars cheaper, though it isn't as powerfully configurable as the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3.

Finally, you might consider the HP Envy 15, a 15-inch laptop that offers lots of power for little money. It can't quite compete with the ThinkPad, but it has a great OLED display of its own and costs hundreds of dollars less.

How long it will take?

The ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 is extremely durable, well configured and will provide many years of productive service. We'd like more than a year of warranty at these prices, but Lenovo offers a variety of warranty upgrade options.

Should you buy it?

Yes. Not only is the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 the most powerful ThinkPad you can buy, it's also one of the most powerful 15-inch consumer laptops out there.

Editor's recommendations




17 Apr
Blog

Google Nest Mini Review: Even Faster, Even Smarter

nest mini review 2 google 2nd gen feat

Nest Mini (2nd generation)

"Google's Nest Mini makes an already good device even better and remains the first choice among affordable smart speakers."

  • Fast answers

  • Adjusts the sound based on background noise

  • Environmentally friendly materials

  • Affordable price

  • The maximum volume could be louder

  • 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.

Google Nest Mini on the tableJohn 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.

Google Nest Mini on ledgeJohn 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.

Google Nest Mini on the wallJohn 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.

Editor's recommendations




26 Mar
Blog

Google Nest Mini Review: Even Faster, Even Smarter

nest mini review google 2nd gen feat

Nest Mini (2nd generation)

"Google's Nest Mini makes an already good device even better and remains the first choice among affordable smart speakers."

  • Fast answers

  • Adjusts the sound based on background noise

  • Environmentally friendly materials

  • Affordable price

  • The maximum volume could be louder

  • Same look as the previous model

This review was updated by Digital Trends Editor John Velasco on 03/25/2020.

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 outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus spreads. 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.

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.

Google Nest Mini on the tableJohn 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 versus 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 buy USB Type C, since the Nest Mini is unlikely to move around frequently, Google is perfectly fine with opting for 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.

Google Nest Mini on ledgeJohn 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.

Google Nest Mini on the wallJohn 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 .

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.

Editor's recommendations