Google Home Mini Review: More Than It Looks

If you’re someone who wants to be a part of Google’s smart ecosystem, the Google Home Mini is your cheapest ticket. Rs. 4,499The smart speaker is a scaled down version of the real Google Home and comes equipped with all the features. However, is it actually as good as Google claims, or should you pass it up? Let’s find out as we take a closer look at the Google Home Mini:

Google Home Mini Technical Specifications

Before we move on to the review part, let’s set aside the technical specifications. Despite its small size and cheap price tag, the Google Home Mini comes with some pretty decent hardware, which you can check out below:

what’s in the box

Google Home Mini comes in a compact white little box thanks to the compact size of the smart speaker. Everything is minimal and the package includes all the essentials such as:

• Google Home Mini
• Power Adapter and Cable
• Quick start Guide

Design and Build Quality

The core idea behind the Google Home Mini is minimalism, and Google seems to have nailed it on that front. The Google Home Mini is a no-nonsense smart speaker. On the surface, you have this beautiful fabric cover along with the non-slip silicone sole.

While the fabric on the top covers most of the surface, it’s there for more than just the look. The surface really conveys your touch in several areas to allow for easy interaction. You can tap the top of the surface to pause and/or resume playback. In addition, both the left side and the right side can be used to decrease and increase the volume, respectively.

Below the fiber are 4 LEDs that glow bright white when listening to or responding to your commands. It also switches to Google’s Blue, Red, Yellow and Green tint, but this only happens at boot time.

Speaking of the bottom of the device, Google Home Mini has a microUSB port to power the device. It has a microphone switch next to it. This allows you to enable or disable active listening, making the device susceptible to physical interaction only.

The base of the Google Home Mini has a circular rubber mat to keep it motionless on the surface you place it on. It has Google’s branding and several certifications, as well as a reset button.if you manage to screw things up tremendously.

All in all, Google has managed to pack a lot into this tiny speaker. It looks plain and simple on the surface but packs a lot of features.

With the Google Home Mini, the company set a new benchmark for minimalism.

sound quality

Since I have used Amazon Echo Dot before, I did not have high expectations from Google Home Mini in terms of sound quality. I just thought it would be another smart device with a speaker to answer my questions. But boy, was I in for a surprise! Turning the device on at startup and listening to that Google tone cleared half of my doubts just then and there. Then I set up the device with my Google Play Music account and started transferring some songs. And I assure you the experience was more than overwhelming.

The Google Home Mini has a 40mm driver that the company claims provides 360-degree sound. In my experience, the sound was really great. There is no artificial support. The sound delivered was natural with all levels balanced.. Yes, it’s not a thing for bass lovers, but still, the bass in the audio was pretty pronounced. But most importantly, the sound from the Google Home Mini is super loud. I can actually use the Google Home Mini as a decent speaker replacement for my home, the better.

The Google Home Mini has an impressive 40mm driver that impresses you in every way, giving the device the ability to truly replace your regular home speaker.

User experience

Yes, the Google Home Mini packs some pretty impressive hardware for a pretty compact device. But does it really offer a great user experience? I’d rather say it’s mostly good with a few flaws. Let’s discuss the good things about the Google Home Mini, shall we?

Google Home Mini offers a simple and interactive user experience right from the start. The device is extremely easy to set up – Simply download the Google Home app for your Android or iOS device. The app will automatically search and list nearby Google Home Mini on the screen and set it up easily with your Google account and WiFi.

Interacting with the device is a breeze, thanks to the far-field recognition microphones on the Google Home Mini. You can use “Hey Google” or “Ok Google” to trigger Google Assistant. And as we all know, Google Assistant is currently the best smart assistant on the market. However, there are some things Google Assistant has let me down.

For example, ask the Google Home Mini “What is the time and weather in Dublin?” when I asked him, he was splitting it into two different queries, namely, “What time is it?” and “Weather in Dublin?” This is not exactly what I wanted to ask the device. Another thing I personally dislike is that while the Google Home Mini’s sound quality is top-notch, You can’t ask Google Assistant to play a song on loop. Instead, you’ll have to go through the trouble of creating your own custom playlist on the music provider you’ve connected, and then ask Google to play it.

As for controlling my smart home devices, it was all easy. As long as the device you plan to control with the Google Home Mini supports Google Assistant, it will automatically appear in the Google Home app on your smartphone. Once you’re done connecting and naming, you can easily control it using voice actions with Google Home Mini.

All in all, the Google Home Mini’s user experience was quite pleasant. From setting up the device to actually interacting with it, everything is simple. Despite its few shortcomings, Google Assistant is great to use, making the Google Home Mini a great smart speaker.

Google Home Mini: The Best of Google in a Small Package

At just Rs. 4.499, You get a compact yet loud smart speaker with Google Assistant on it, offering the same user experience as the larger Google Home. Additionally, for Indian users, the device comes pre-loaded with a free subscription to Gaana and Saavn until October 31, 2018, and free Google Play Music subscription until October 10, 2018. All in all, it’s proving to be an excellent value for the Google Home Mini. money product with features and add-on goodies that far outweigh the minor flaws in its performance.

Pros:

• Excellent Sound Quality
• Neat and Clean Design
• Google Assistant is pretty smart

Cons:

• No AUX-in port
• Google Assistant still needs some improvement

Buy on Flipkart: (Rs. 4,499)

SEE ALSO: Bixby vs Google Assistant vs Siri: Which Takes the Crown?

Google Home Mini Review: Minimalism Personalized

So, would I recommend the Google Home Mini to you? Exactly! It is essentially a smart speaker with the ability to replace your home speaker. Google Home Mini comes with Google Assistant to help you with all your chores and daily chores and answer just about any of your questions.