Smart speakers are not only a trend and craze of the moment but are increasingly becoming a necessity as our lives become faster and more advanced.
Smart speakers today not only help us listen to our music on demand but can also schedule our days, make lists, and also control smart devices in pairs turning our life s and homes into smart lives and smart homes.
Key Takeaways
- Echo Dot uses Amazon’s Alexa as its voice assistant, while Google Mini relies on Google Assistant.
- Google Mini excels in providing more accurate search results and handling complex queries.
- Echo Dot offers better compatibility with a wider range of smart home devices.
Echo Dot vs Google Mini
Echo Dot is a smart wireless speaker that was launched by Amazon and can be used to listen to music, set timers, hear podcasts, make lists and more. Google Mini is a smart wireless speaker that was made and launched by Google to stream online videos and music, search online, and influence other devices.
The Echo Dot is an Amazon-launched smart wireless speaker that can be used to listen to music, hear podcasts, set timers, make lists, search general queries from the internet and much more on voice command.
It even responds to your questions and can monitor other smart devices in the home connected to it.
The Google Mini is a Google Launched smart wireless speaker that can be used to do all the functions stated above. It can stream online videos and music, play songs, place calls, set reminders, influence other smart devices, search recipes
and answer questions from the internet and so on, on voice command.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Echo Dot | Google Mini |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | It appears like an ice hockey pug with rounded edges and flat faces. (1st generation and 2nd generation models) . It has a metallic surface with speakers on the periphery. | It has a similar shape to the Echo Dot but its faces are also rounded and covered by fabric and plastic meshes giving it a more velvety appearance. |
| Weight | It weighs around 0.25 kg. | It weighs around 0.17 kg |
| Microphones | It has four microphones to receive sound on its exposed upper face. | Its microphones are covered by the meshes. |
| Switches | The Amazon Echo Dot has four control switches on the top of the device. | It does not have any designated buttons on its surface except the mute button . |
| Lighting | It has indicator lights: ring lights with various colours like yellow, green, blue and red and white. | It has four dots on its surface with led lights with indicators of fewer colours like yellow, red and green and white |
| Mute Switch | The mute button lies on the top of the device | Mute button present on the underside of the device. |
| Connectivity to other Speakers | It has provisions to connect to other speakers with a 3.5 mm jack. | It does not have any such options. |
| Wall Mounting | No option for wall mounting. | Has a provision of wall hanging from a hook. |
| Music Streaming | Can stream online music from multiple platforms like Spotify, Amazon Music, etc. | Can stream music from additional sites like YouTube music. |
| Services Provided | Services provided are mostly Amazon centric. | Services are broader as Google has more services. |
| Smart Assistant | Amazon Smart Assistant Alexa | Utilizes Google Smart Assistant |
What is Echo Dot?
The Echo Dot is a smart speaker launched by Amazon. It has four generations of updates also available in the market, some of them being Echo Clock and Echo Kids.
It is a smart wireless speaker with Wi-Fi connectivity required to function. It has an integrated Smart Assistant – Alexa which runs on voice commands.
It can perform functions like play and stream online and offline music from the internet or your phone, search general queries, set reminders, make to-do lists, set times, learn recipes and operate other smart appliances with the help of its interactive two-way audio.
There is no camera or video provisions.
It has a rich sound coming from its peripheral speakers. Their naked microphones on top and designated buttons on the top make it easier to use. It is very easy to set up.
You can change your phrase of activation of the device using its mobile app. It also has indicator lights of the colour green for calls, yellow for mute, red for problem shooting or switched off, white for switch on, and blue for when Alexa is listening.
This makes the device very interactive as well.
You can connect this speaker to other speakers using a 3.5 mm jack to turn other speakers into one integrated system. The only drawback to these speakers is that their services and streaming platforms are limited.
Being Amazon launched, it focuses on Amazon services more. Also, it is not the ideal device to search or ask questions from the internet as it is known as a smart speaker, not a search assistant.
What is Google Mini?
The Google Mini is a smart speaker launched by Google. It has two generations of updates available in the market. It is a smart wireless speaker that works with Wi-Fi connectivity and a smartphone App.
It has integrated Smart Assistant – Google Assistant, which runs on voice commands.
It can perform similar functions like playing and streaming online and offline music from the internet or your phone, searching general queries, setting reminders, making to-do lists, setting times, learning recipes and operating other smart appliances with the help of its interactive two-way audio like the Echo device.
There is no camera or video provisions, just like the former.
It also has clear, rich sounds with a slightly darker bass than the other. Their microphones, although covered, have good exposure to sound.
Devoid of buttons, they have sensitive areas on the upper surface of the speaker for volume up and down, pause and start, and to speak with Google Assistant.
Their indicator lights also have the colour green for calls, red for mute or switched off or problem shooting and white for interaction with the Assistant.
You cannot connect other speakers to it to make them one smart unit. Unless the other speaker is compatible with Google Assistant, it cannot function together.
Its plus point lies in the wide variety of services it provides across all Google support platforms. Also, it can provide detailed answers to questions from Google itself.
Main Differences Between Echo Dot and Google Mini
- Echo Mini has rich, clear ringing sounds from speakers at its periphery. Google Mini has speakers all around its surface.
- The mute button lies on the upper face of the Echo Dot while it is present on the lower surface of the Google Mini Devices.
- You cannot stream music from YouTube Music in Echo Dot, whereas it can be accessed by Google Mini.
- The smart assistant in Echo Dot is Amazon Assistant Alexa, while the smart assistant in Google Mini is Google Assistant.
- Echo Dot is easier to use due to buttons on its surface, whereas the Google Mini has a more minimalist look without buttons.
- Echo dot has a 3.5 mm jack aperture, whereas it is absent in Google Mini.
- Echo Dot cannot access directions as it does not support Google Maps, which is supported by the Google Mini smart speaker.
Last Updated : 27 July, 2023
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
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