Google's Nest Mini can't get as loud as the Amazon Echo Dot, but it's a better fit for buyers who prefer Google's smart home ecosystem

• The Nest Mini is Google's compact, affordable smart speaker with Google Assistant built-in.
• The speaker has more bass response than the previous-generation model, but not quite as much as the Amazon Echo Dot.
• Still, at a regular price of $49, the Nest Mini is a great smart speaker for those who want the power of Google Assistant in a budget-friendly package.

The home is getting smarter, and the concept of the smart speaker is now mainstream. But, while the Amazon Echo kickstarted the smart speaker revolution, Google offers a range of smart speakers of its own — like the relatively affordable and ultra-compact Google Nest Mini.

The Google Nest Mini is the follow-up to the original Google Home Mini, offering a similar design with upgraded speakers. As you would expect, it has Google Assistant built-in — meaning that you can use it to control smart home devices, find out information from the web, play music, and more.

The Google Nest Mini is relatively inexpensive, but does it cut too many corners to remain a worthy purchase? I spent some quality time with the speaker to find out.

Design and setup

The Google Nest Mini is aimed at offering a friendly design that will look right at home in any room. It's a small, puck-shaped device with a fabric covering over the top, and LED lights under that fabric to indicate Google Assistant and the volume. On the back of the device is a power input and a switch to mute the microphone. A keyhole is also included on the rear, making it easy to mount to a wall.

The Nest Mini is available in four different colors: Chalk, Charcoal, Sky, and Coral. It's generally a good-looking device, and the fabric covering over the top helps ensure that it appears more homely and approachable.

The Nest Mini has a few touch controls to allow users to manually adjust volume too. These functions are similar to the previous-generation model. You can turn the volume up with a simple tap on the right of the speaker, and turn it down with a tap on the left.

Under the hood, the Nest Mini is intelligently designed. The device offers three microphones for recognizing your voice, which is one more than the previous model. Whether I'm close to the speaker or relatively far away from it, the Nest Mini is able to easily recognize what I say. It's even able to hear my voice commands when I'm in the next room.

Setting up the Google Nest Mini is extremely easy. Simply plug the device in and download the Google Home App. After installing the app, it should automatically detect the speaker and you can configure it with your Google account.

Specifications

• Dimensions: 1.65 x 3.85 inches
• 181g (6.38oz)
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support
• Google Assistant built in
• Supports Android and iOS apps
• Rear keyhole for mounting

Sound quality

Like most smart speakers this size, the Google Nest Mini isn't designed for audiophiles, but it thankfully sounds quite a bit better than the previous-generation Google Home Mini — making listening to music on the device much more enjoyable.

For starters, the bass response on the Nest Mini is far superior to the older Google Home Mini. Kick drums are able to punch through a mix a little easier, and while the speaker still doesn't offer quite as much bass as the third-generation Amazon Echo Dot, those who prefer Google's ecosystem will appreciate the extra oomph.

The mid-range is also much better tuned this time around. You'll get relatively warm low-mids, with a good amount of clarity in the high-mids, and the result is that vocals will cut nicely, while guitar solos will sound crisper.

There's a decent amount of clarity and detail in the high-end, but again, this isn't a speaker for audiophiles, and if you're looking for a speaker specifically for listening to music, you may end up disappointed. The speaker is able to get decently loud, and louder than the Home Mini, but it doesn't quite reach the volume of the Amazon Echo Dot.

The Nest Mini has a few smart features for adjusting volume as well. For example, it can detect the ambient noise in the room, and adjust the music volume accordingly. This feature works pretty well, though it is limited by how loud the ambient noise is. If you're doing something really loud, the Nest Mini may not be able to match the volume — and in that situation it's probably better to hit pause.

Google Assistant performance

As mentioned, the Google Nest Mini has Google Assistant built-in, and the result is that it's just as smart as any other Google Assistant device out there. You can use the speaker to play music and find out information from the web, and if you have compatible smart home devices connected to your account through the Google Home app, you can control them too.

The Nest Mini takes Google Assistant a step further as well, thanks to the fact that it offers a machine learning processor, which can learn commands that you regularly use, store data related to the commands locally, and then process the commands without having to connect to the internet. It's pretty smart, and makes the speaker work faster.

In practice, Google Assistant operates quickly and without delays. I have a range of smart home devices set up, including Philips Hue bulbs, a Nest thermostat, and a few different smart switches. The Nest Mini's Google Assistant feature consistently controls all of these devices instantly.

The same is true for music control. I use the speaker with Google's own YouTube Music, and Assistant on the device is almost always able to recognize what song I want to play, even on the rare occasion that I request a track by a lyric in the song instead of the actual name of the song.

Problems with the Nest Mini

The Google Nest Mini is an impressive smart speaker for the price, but it's not perfect. Unlike some other smart speakers out there, the device doesn't have a 3.5mm jack built into it. This means that you can't use a wired connection to output audio from the Nest Mini to a better sounding speaker.

Apart from that, there's little to complain about. If you compare directly with the Amazon Echo Dot, you might miss the extra bass response on offer by the Amazon device — but the Nest Mini's bass response is still pretty good in its own right.

The bottom line

The Google Nest Mini is an excellent option for those who want a Google Assistant-powered speaker on a budget. The speaker doesn't sound as good as the larger Google Home or the Google Home Max, but its smaller size and more affordable price make it an especially good choice for buyers who want smart features in each room of the house. With that said, it's not an ideal fit for people who want to listen to music with the best audio quality.

What are your alternatives?

When it comes to other similarly sized smart speakers in this price range, the Nest Mini's primary competitor is the Amazon Echo Dot.

If you're not set on sticking within the Google ecosystem and you want something with a little more bass, then the Echo Dot is a better choice. With that said, considering its deep integration with other Google products and platforms, like Android, the Nest Mini is a better fit for people who are already tied into Google's ecosystem.

Pros: Upgraded audio quality compared to the Google Home Mini, friendly design, inexpensive, keyhole for easy wall-mounting

Cons: No 3.5mm port, not as bass-heavy as the Echo Dot