Difference Between Google Nest Mini and Google Home Mini

The early part of the 21st Century saw a rapid rise in technology. And it was not just technology in cars or for rockets and planes; there was a big growth in the technology used as personal devices.

Technological items used as personal items include smartphones, laptops, desktops, smart speakers, etc.

The years after 2010 saw a rapid rise in these so-called ‘smart’ devices. There were a lot of smart devices, such as smart fridges, smart cars, smart TVs, smart speakers, and the most common, smartphones. 

Amazon made the Echo, Apple made the Homepod, and in a much similar manner, Google also launched its smart speakers. Two of them are the Google Nest Mini and the Google Home Mini.

Key Takeaways

1. Google Nest Mini and Google Home Mini are smart speakers designed to be voice-activated personal assistants.
2. Google Nest Mini is an updated version of Google Home Mini with improved sound quality and additional features like built-in wall mounting and touch controls.
3. Google Nest Mini is a better choice for those prioritizing sound quality and modern features, while Google Home Mini is a more affordable option for basic voice commands.

Google Nest Mini vs Google Home Mini

The Google Nest Mini has a more refined design with rounded edges, a hook for wall mounting, better bass and overall sound quality, which makes it ideal for listening to music or podcasts. The Google Home Mini is circular with a flat bottom and comes in Chalk, Charcoal, and Coral.

Since the Nest Mini belongs to the second generation of smart speakers produced by Google, hence it comes with more features such as more microphones which result in better reception, a better and more powerful speaker, and a wall mount which makes it easier to place the Nest Mini on vertical surfaces.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Google Nest Mini	Google Home Mini
Generation	Google Nest Mini is a second-generation version of the Google Home Mini.	Google Home Mini is the first generation of Google Smart Speakers.
Price	The Nest Mini has a price slightly lower than Home Mini. This, however, may vary by small amounts depending on the region.	Home Mini is usually priced higher than the Nest Mini.
Release Date	Nest Mini came out in 2020.	The Home Mini came out in 2017.
Mount	Nest Mini has a built-in wall mount for convenience.	Home Mini does not have any built-in wall mounts.
Microphones	The Nest Mini has three microphones.	The Home Mini has two microphones.

What is Google Nest Mini?

Google Nest Mini is the second generation of smart speakers created by the tech giant Google. The Nest is a successor to the hugely successful Home Mini, and it also brings about a few changes to the speakers Google has been making.

In addition to that, one more interesting fact is that even though there are more features in the Nest than in the Home, however,

Google managed to keep the price of the Nest almost equal to that of the Home, and, in some areas, the price of the Nest is lower than the price of the Home. 

Other than that, the main features of the Nest include three microphones. Earlier, the Home had only two microphones.

This did not provide much of a problem or any performance issues. However, Google decided to bring about another microphone for more accuracy.

This number is, however, still much lower than one of the biggest competitors of the Nest, the Amazon Echo Dot. The Echo Dot has four microphones, while the bigger Echo has seven microphones.

Another necessary feature of the Nest Mini is that it has a built-in wall mount, and hence it can be perched on vertical surfaces with a hook. This helps keep the Nest Mini in smaller places. 

On the software side, the Nest Mini has Google Assistant built inside it.

The user interacts with the Google Assistant when they use the Nest Mini. If the person uses an Android phone, they are in the Google ecosystem, making integrating the phone and the Nest Mini very seamless. 

What is Google Home Mini?

Google Home Mini is among the first generation of smart speakers made by Google.

Since most of the tech industry has been quickly branching out to various other devices and making them equipped with the internet, thus it was about time that Google also came out with their series of smart speakers to maintain an edge in the market.

One can see how the ‘Internet of Things or IoT is slowly taking shape in the tech industry, with more and more devices connected to the Internet.

The Home Mini has brought a lot of features, and not only is it able to control a user’s phone over the internet, but it can also control any smart device that is compatible with the Home Mini and is connected to the internet. 

The Home Mini’s shape is similar to that of a small puck. It has a textured cloth top and a plastic bottom. Four LEDs on the top light up when acting, thus indicating that it is active.

The Home Mini is available in four colours, which Google has named Aqua, Chalk, Charcoal, and Coral. The diameter of the Google Home Mini is about 10cm (4 inches).

Main Differences Between Google Nest Mini and Google Home Mini

1. The main difference between the Google Nest Mini and the Google Nest Mini is that the Nest Mini is the successor generation to the Home Mini and brings about more accessibility features. Google brought out its series of smart speakers in 2016, and the Home Mini was released in 2017. They renamed the next-generation with the name Nest. The Nest Mini is a smaller version of the larger Nest.
2. The Nest Mini has a slightly lower price than the Home Mini; however, some places have roughly equal prices.
3. The Nest Mini was released in 2020, while the Home Mini was released in 2017.
4. The Nest Mini has a built-in wall mount, while the Home Mini does not. This makes it easier to place the Nest MIni in small places.
5. The Nest Mini has three microphones, while the Home Mini has only two.

References

1. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2725913
2. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17483107.2017.1369589