The Google Nest Mini was launched during Google’s October hardware event.
This is the company’s latest smart home, smart speaker solution.
The Nest Home builds on the Google Home Mini in a minimalist way.
What is Google Nest Mini?
Google offers a range of smart speakers with the Google Assistant built in. Of that range, the “Mini” is the smallest option making it ideal for those looking for a smaller and more discreet device.
In addition, its small size and design also means it is the most affordable Google smart speaker on the market.
In other words, the Google Nest Mini is an ideal product for those looking to add a smart speaker to their home without investing too much money. Alternatively, the Nest Mini is an ideal solution for those looking to add the Google Assistant to other rooms in the house where a more robust solution might already be present.
Wasn’t this the Google Home Mini before?
Yes. The Google Nest Mini is basically the new version of the Google Home Mini. Essentially, it’s a second generation product.
You can find out more about the original model by reading our full Google Home Mini review.
Earlier in 2019 Google announced it was changing the way some of its products are branded. This mainly consisted of “Home” products becoming “Nest” products.
The Google Nest Mini is one of the newest products to launch since that rebrand and therefore sports the new naming scheme. For those wondering, it isn’t the first of these new Nest/Home products. That title belongs to the Google Nest Hub Max.
What’s the difference between Nest Mini and Home Mini?
Not much actually. The Google Nest Mini can be considered a fairly minor update compared to the Home Mini.
For one thing, the design almost hasn’t changed at all. This is still the same small puck-like device it was before with the same fabric and plastic combination. In fact, even the same colors are in use.
The only visible difference between the old and new models is the cutout on the back.
The Google Home Mini was compatible with some third-party mounts that allowed you to attach the smart speaker to a wall. Google has now cut out the need for those additional accessories as you can simply hang the unit on the wall like you would anything else.
While this is a small design change, it does immediately open up new locations and ways for the device to be stored.
Another change can be found under the hood. The Nest Mini is a more powerful smart speaker as it comes with a boost in the audio power and quality compared to the Home Mini. For example, Google claims the bass on the new model is “twice as strong” compared to the Home Mini.
This audio improvement is relative, of course. With the Nest Mini being a small speaker to begin with, the boost might be significant compared to the original model, but is still likely to be limited compared to actually buying a bigger speaker to begin with.
One of the knock-on effects of the increased audio performance is an increase in power drawn by the unit. As a result of this, the Nest Mini comes with a 15-watt power supply.
Google Nest Mini specs
As mentioned, there’s not actually much different with the Nest Mini compared to the Home Mini. However, if you do want to know the full technically parameters, here’s what we know so far.
| Dimensions | Diameter: 3.85 in (98 mm) Height: 1.65 in (42 mm) Power cable: 1.5 m |
| Weight | 181 g |
| Supported Audio Formats | HE-AAC, LC-AAC, MP3, Vorbis, WAV (LPCM), Opus, FLAC with support for high-resolution streams (24-bit/96KHz) |
| Wireless Connectivity | 802.11b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz/5 GHz) Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, Chromecast |
| Wired Connectivity | DC power jack |
| Sensors | Capacitive touch controls, 3 far-field microphones |
| Audio | 360-degree sound with 40 mm driver |
| Microphones | 3 far-field microphones, Voice Match technology |
| Power | 15 W power adapter |
| Supported Operating Systems | Android, iOS |
| Colors | Chalk, Charcoal, Coral, Sky |
How much is the Google Nest Mini?
Google’s “Mini” products have always been price-conscious devices. So it should come as no surprise that in spite of the new name the Nest Mini is designed to be an affordable device.
In fact, in spite of the new wall mount and the increase in audio performance, the Nest Mini is no more expensive than the Home Mini was when it launched.
For buyers in the U.S., the Google Nest Mini costs $49.99. The new Google Nest Mini goes on general sale on October 22. In the meantime, pre-orders are now open for those looking to secure one of Google’s small, but more powerful Google Assistant smart speakers.
To find out more about the Nest Mini, click here to head over to the official Google Store product listing.
A closer look at the new home hub
If you want a closer look at the new Nest Mini, then check out Google’s official Nest Mini introduction video below.