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It offers smooth stereo sound when paired with another Google Home Mini or any Bluetooth speaker. Think of it as a less expensive version of Sonos or Bose smart speakers. A Google engineer we spoke to at the launch event originally told us all the controls previously tied to the top captivate button on the Home Mini had returned in the Nest Mini, including a tap to trigger commands, but that isn't the case. The top control does not trigger input for voice commands/recording, and we've updated our coverage.
Get a Demo TodayIn order to settle a group of rambunctious kids down, a grandmother asks her Google Home Mini, which is connected to her Google Home Nest, to queue up her playlist. The kids are immediately distracted by the music and start clapping along to the "kitty kitty cat" song that begins to play -- much to grandma's delight. The new Nest Mini has a dedicated machine learning chip that gives it the ability to both learn your most common commands and keep the processing required for them on-device. That means better privacy and faster performance, even if all you're doing with it is asking to turn the lights on. Google Assistant, an intelligent personal assistant, is included as the main and only assistant in Google Home. Unlike its predecessor, Google Now, Assistant is able to engage in two-way conversations with users.
Google Nest (smart speakers)
The Google Home's design and sound input/output received significant praise, while a lack of interoperability between other Google Assistant-enabled devices was criticized. Critics also expressed concerns about Google's intentions with the device, particularly whether or not features would be more tightly integrated into other Google products. On March 28, 2018, Google made the announcement via their blog that users would be able to pair any of their Google Home devices to their own Bluetooth speakers without requiring the use of a Chromecast streamer. It’s a smart Bluetooth speaker with access to Spotify, Google Play Music, YouTube Music, iHeartRadio, and more.
There’s even a small hole in the bottom of the stand to run the Google Home Mini’s power cable through for easy, built-in cable management. Like the pedestal mount, it makes it easy to see the lights atop the Mini and helps direct the sound forward, rather than toward the ceiling. The only potential downside is that most homes have power outlets low to the ground, so this might be better placed in a bathroom or kitchen.
Key features
On July 10, 2019, a report published by Belgian broadcaster VRT NWS managed to gain access to more than a thousand audio excerpts recorded by Google Assistant in Belgium and the Netherlands. The audio files were sent to Google employees to develop Google Assistant's speech technology. According to the VRT NWS report, 153 of the 1,000 audio files should have never been recorded and during which the command "OK Google" was clearly not given. In some cases, the recordings included "bedroom conversations, conversations between parents and their children, but also blazing rows and professional phone calls containing lots of private information".

Google Nest, previously named Google Home, is a line of smart speakers developed by Google under the Google Nest brand. The devices enable users to speak voice commands to interact with services through Google Assistant, the company's virtual assistant. Both in-house and third-party services are integrated, allowing users to listen to music, control playback of videos or photos, or receive news updates entirely by voice. Google Nest devices also have integrated support for home automation, letting users control smart home appliances with their voice command. The first device, Google Home, was released in the United States in November 2016; subsequent product releases have occurred globally since 2017.
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Users can connect and group together multiple Home speakers for synchronized playback of music in every room. A notable feature omission, multiple accounts, was criticized by JR Raphael of Computerworld in November 2016, but an update for users in the United States in April 2017 enabled the feature. Google Home can now recognize up to six different voices, pulling information from their different accounts depending on who's talking.

In May 2019, Google announced that Google Home devices would be rebranded under the Google Nest banner, and it unveiled the Nest Hub Max, a larger smart display. On October 15, 2019, Google unveiled a second-generation model of the Home Mini branded as the Google Nest Mini. It includes a larger speaker, an additional microphone, a machine learning chip that can cache voice recognition data for commonly-used commands locally, and "ultrasonic sensing". It is similar in design to the first-generation Home Mini, except its cover is now made from recycled plastic.
Nest Audio
Some of these add-ons change the look of the device, while others add new functionality it didn’t have before. Whether you want something to add a bit of style to your smart assistant or you need a longer cord, it’s out there — and we’ve rounded up some of the Google Home Mini accessories to help you decide. Google's new Nest Mini may look nearly identical to the previous Home Mini, but its familiar package hides quite a few improvements.
"Visual Responses" let users send answers from Google Home onto their mobile device or Chromecast-enabled television. The device now also supports Bluetooth audio streaming through compatible devices , and the ability to schedule calendar appointments, with upcoming support for reminders. The original Google Home speaker released in November 2016 featured a cylindrical shape with colored status LEDs on top. In October 2017, Google announced two additions to the product lineup, the miniature puck-shaped Google Home Mini and a larger Google Home Max. In October 2018, the company released the Google Home Hub, a smart speaker with a 7-inch touchscreen.
This means there’s more third-party support for the Echo Dot compared to the Google Home Mini. In fact, the Echo Dot has over 50,000 voice commands compared to Google’s more than 2,000. Order my usual from Domino’s.” The voice assistant will then send your order to Domino’s for delivery.

Get A DemoLoginSorry, our video player is not supported in this browser. The original Home Mini had a two-microphone array, but the Nest Mini steps that up, giving you three total mics working together in a far-field array. That should mean improved voice recognition, better picking up your "Hey Google" queries through even more noise at home. On September 30, 2020, Google released the Google Nest Audio, which acts as the successor to the original Google Home and incorporates some design elements of the Home Max.