INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Two years after the release of the Home Mini, Google back with the sequel
Well, &sequel& might be a bit strong
The Nest Mini is more like one of those 1.5 movies they release on home video with a little extra footage than the theatrical release
That not a compliant, exactly
The truth is there are some improvements here, but honestly, Google didn''t really need to do much
The $49 Home Mini sold like hot cakes and is a big part of the company rapid growth in the smart home space.
It was a low barrier of entry
for those who were curious, but perhaps not fully on-board
And, like the Echo Dot before, it been an inexpensive way to outfit an entire home with smart speaker functionality
Google has smartly kept the price the same with the Nest Mini
The device may not be a loss leader, exactly, but it the easiest and cheapest way of hooking users into the Assistant ecosystem — one that
will theoretically lead to more smart home purchases, and, perhaps mobile device decisions.
Google Home Mini is now Nest Mini
The Nest is
nearly identical to its predecessor
It simple and with a choice of four pastel colors (Chalk, Charcoal, Coral and Sky), it should fit most interior designs reasonably well
Bonus points for the new fabric covering, which is made entirely from recycled plastic bottles
Google says one half-liter bottle will cover two Minis
Interestingly the new cloth doesn''t negatively impact the sound.
Speaking of, that the biggest upgrade on-board
Sound has been improved over the original with a louder max volume and twice the bass
I&ve been listening to music at home on the new device, and while it gets pretty loud, I can''t recommend it as a standalone speaker
There are much better options for that
It serves Assistant and voice playback pretty well, but it gets a bit distorted at louder volumes
I do quite like the music playback controls, however
Tap the center to play or pause music and either side to increase and decrease volume
When your hand approaches the speaker, two dots will illuminate on the edges to show you where to touch
Paired in stereo mode with another, better speaker (like, say, the Home Max) and it serves as a cool little touch control
The recent addition of stream transfer, meanwhile, makes it easier to keep listening to music as you change rooms
Another interesting tidbit that didn''t get a lot of mention at today event is dynamic volume adjustment, which adjusts the sound based on
It similar to the feature the company teased with today Pixel Buds reveal and could come in handy if you happen to live or work in a loud
Take that, neighbors.
The new Mini presents one of the more compelling use cases I&ve seen for Duo thus far (and honestly, I haven''t seen
You can use the device as a kind of speakerphone with the app
I can certainly see this coming in handy for things like work calls at home
If you&ve got a big home, you can also use it as an intercom to communicate with other Home/Nest devices
One other bit worth mentioning is the smart addition of a wall mount on the bottom of the device
It something small, but handy
Using a nail or thumbtack (well, probably just a nail, given the size/weight), you can now hang the Mini on a wall
Apparently this was a pretty heavily requested feature for those with limited shelf space
I could certainly imagine sticking it in my kitchen, where counter space is at an extreme premium — though dealing with the cord is
another question entirely
The Nest Mini arrives on retail shelves and walls October 22.
