The Google Nest Mini costs $79 and is currently on special for $49 (until 12/9/2022), so hurry online and bag a bargain.
This is a later generation to the original Mini that helped make OK Google a household word. There is not a lot to say about the speaker, so we will keep the review short
Australian review: Google Nest Mini
We use Fail (below expectations), Pass (meets expectations) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. We occasionally give a Pass(able) rating that is not as good as it should be and a Pass ‘+’ rating to show it is good but does not quite make it to Exceed.
You can click on most images for an enlargement.
You can get it in Chalk, Charcoal, Coral and Sky. It is small, ultimately useful, and the start of your OK Google Adventure.
It actually has some mid-and-high-bass – not that a 40mm mono speaker can do much with it, but it is pretty listenable. Volume is a good 80dB but don’t drive it that hard. It can stereo pair (not really for high-fidelity). It is Mid-centric which is best for clear voice.
We won’t go into depth, but there is a good overview here. If you want to see if Google Assistant is right for you, start with a Mini.
It is hard to put a number on Smart Assistant use, and figures for Australia are a little rubbery. Amazon is not as well-known or trusted in Australia, so Google Assistant leads. Indicative 2021/22 figures put Google at 80%, Alexa at 15% and Siri at 5%. That is because companies like Sonos (that supports both Assistants), IKEA Symfonisk, Bose, JBL, Lenovo, LG, Yamaha, Sony, Samsung (Harman Kardon) and Google Nest produce Google Assistant speakers. Many also support Bluetooth Chromecast, the default Android audio and video casting.
Every Android smartphone has an embedded Google Assistant as well as Android Auto, Android TV, Android Wear and more. Google Assistant is so far ahead of Alexa by sheer force of these numbers that there is no competition.
VoiceBot stated, “Amazon’s share seems to be coming from its paid Prime members who were 50% more likely to buy the Alexa speaker”. Tellingly the vast majority clearly bought OK Google-based speakers.
Read more: Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa – the battle of the smart assistants is over.
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