In line with leaks from earlier today, Google also unveiled the Nest Mini smart speaker during today’s hardware event with better sound quality and wall mount support. The second-gen Home Mini speaker is still the “most affordable Google Assistant-powered speaker” at $49 (Rs 3,500). It’s available for pre-order today and will go on sale from October 22.
Let’s start off with the design. The new Nest Mini looks identical to the original Google Home Mini speaker – except for a couple of minor hardware changes and an improved audio output. You won’t be able to distinguish between the two speakers at first sight, however, the Nest Mini comes with extra LEDs on the edges to indicate touch buttons.
As for audio quality, Google in its official blog post says “Nest Mini provides bass that’s twice as strong as the original Google Home Mini (measured from 60 to 100 Hz at max volume).” It also adds that the tiny speaker will “dynamically adjust the volume of the Assistant, news, and podcasts based on any background noise” and offer you a clearer, crisper audio output.
The hardware changes include a wall mount groove (obviously to hang the speaker like Nest’s thermostats, so it’s easily visible) and a new proprietary circular pin charger that resembles the charger we get with Nest Hub or Hub Max speakers. It replaces the older microUSB charging port on the Home Mini.
Google Nest Mini is expected to become available in 23 countries within a week’s time from today, including India. We will have to wait for an official announcement to learn the India pricing of this tiny speaker.
