The perfect for audio high quality
Google is taking a two-pronged strategy for its newest sensible speaker. It is each a “speaker first” and concurrently the primary speaker “constructed for Gemini.” With higher audio high quality and higher native AI processing, that is the speaker for the long run.
Professionals
- Beautiful design and development
- Speaker high quality is downright spectacular
- Can be utilized as TV encompass sound audio system
- Understands advanced requests with out a drawback
- Deep integration into Google Residence ecosystem
- A Thread border router with Matter assist
Cons
- USB-C cable is hard-wired
- Some responses are very gradual
The anyplace speaker
Nest Mini was designed to provide you instantaneous entry to Google Assistant anyplace in your house, and it doubles as a formidable little speaker that may be simply mounted on any wall. Sadly, it is each old-fashioned and not on the market, and plenty of Gemini instructions will be fairly gradual.
Professionals
- Wonderful worth (for those who can nonetheless discover one)
- Constructed-in mounting gap on the again
- Diminutive measurement
Cons
- Gradual Assistant/Gemini responses
- Sound high quality is not nice (particularly bass)
- Proprietary barrel plug energy connector
Google’s Nest Mini speaker was introduced alongside the Pixel 4, which ought to offer you a good suggestion of how outdated the speaker is at this level. Whereas sensible dwelling audio system had been by no means designed to be up to date yearly the best way telephones are, the Nest Mini’s {hardware} is displaying its age within the Gemini period. Most instructions take a notable period of time to course of, and because the audio high quality was by no means top-tier to start with, it is doubtless you are contemplating an improve by this level, anyway.
That is the place the Google Residence Speaker is available in. Google has dropped the Nest title for its newest speaker, going all-in on Gemini integration and a strong new speaker system. At $99, it is twice the value of the Nest Mini when it launched, and whereas it is definitely a wonderful improve for each Nest Mini proprietor, there would possibly nonetheless be a number of causes to maintain that Nest Mini in the correct room.
Google Residence Speaker (2026) vs. Nest Mini: Design
My favourite Nest Mini characteristic was, undoubtedly, the mounting gap on the again. This ingenious little dimple lets it’s held on any wall, discreetly including a speaker to any room you need. Whether or not you had the twine hanging freely (as within the image above) otherwise you acquired extra skilled with it and hid it, the Nest Mini was a fantastic addition to any room.
The Google Residence Speaker does not have this mounting gap, so it isn’t straightforward to hold on a wall, but it surely’s a fantastic addition to any shelf or nightstand due to its homey texture and colours. It makes use of an analogous textile look to the Nest Mini, plus the identical LED quantity adjustment buttons on high and a thick rubber nonstick pad on the underside to maintain it from sliding or being bumped round.
You will additionally discover a {hardware} mute change on the underside of each audio system, so you possibly can really feel assured in your privateness for those who simply need these to behave as audio system (and never a Gemini-powered assistant).
Whereas speaking to the Nest Mini, an array of LEDs lights up on high to let you realize it is listening or processing a command. The Google Residence Speaker spruces this up a bit with an LED ring on the underside, which includes a distinctive glow that is extra apparent than the Nest Mini, which is especially vital because it tends to mix in nicely with decor on cabinets.
Each audio system characteristic poor decisions for energy cabling, which is extra than simply annoying. The Nest Mini featured a proprietary barrel plug, which meant you wanted to purchase a brand new charger if one thing occurred to it. The Google Residence Speaker makes use of a USB-C charging brick, however the cable is hardwired into the speaker, so you may doubtless have to purchase a entire new one if one thing occurs to this one.
Each wires are about the identical size (~6.5 ft), and since they’re both proprietary or non-replaceable, you may have to decide on a location near an outlet or extension twine.
Google Residence Speaker (2026) vs. Nest Mini: Sound high quality and connectivity
Though Nest Mini’s sound high quality was an enchancment over the unique Google Residence Mini speaker, neither mannequin provided stellar sound. They had been just too small for that. The Google Residence Speaker considerably upgrades the audio high quality this time round, and it does so with out drastically altering the speaker’s footprint.
That is as a result of, whereas the Google Residence Speaker is about twice as excessive because the Nest Mini speaker (42mm vs 86mm), it is also about the identical diameter (96mm vs 106mm). That is a very simple measurement to stuff right into a bookshelf or a equally small house (as evidenced within the photograph above).
The Google Residence Speaker additionally options an omnidirectional 58mm full-range audio driver, delivering 360-degree audio that sounds nice regardless of the place the “entrance” of the speaker is. Nest Mini includes a comparable 360-degree design, however the 40mm driver and considerably lighter weight (181g vs 408g) imply the Google Residence Speaker’s bass high quality merely sounds higher.
Each audio system assist the Google Forged protocol and multi-room speaker functionality, so you possibly can solid practically any audio supply to them, however the Google Residence Speaker helps Google’s new encompass sound mode. That allows you to join a number of Google Residence audio system to your Google TV streamer for encompass sound whereas watching TV, supplying you with an effective way to ditch the soundbar (or an older wired audio system) for one thing chicer.
The Google Residence Speaker additionally helps quicker wi-fi connectivity by way of Wi-Fi 6 (Nest Mini is Wi-Fi 5), higher Bluetooth high quality by way of Bluetooth 5.4 (vs Bluetooth 5.0 on Nest Mini), and full assist as a Thread hub for Matter connectivity.
That final half ensures that the Google Residence Speaker is a better option for sensible dwelling connectivity, because it permits newer sensible dwelling gadgets to attach via a neighborhood Thread community for quicker native instructions.
Google Residence Speaker (2026) vs. Nest Mini: AI capabilties and specs
Nest Mini was launched as a largely cloud-centric computing gadget, usually offloading even probably the most fundamental instructions to Google Assistant within the cloud. Over time, as Google has migrated many instructions to Gemini, Nest Mini has began to really feel slower and slower.
The Google Residence Speaker was constructed to assist repair this drawback, but it surely does not do it fairly in addition to I had hoped. The newer 2.0GHz CPU with a built-in NPU is designed to course of extra duties and instructions regionally, however my expertise with the speaker has proven that Google nonetheless offloads many instructions to the cloud.
|
Class |
Google Residence Speaker |
Nest Mini |
|---|---|---|
|
Speaker |
Omni-directional 58mm full-range driver |
360-degree sound with 40mm driver |
|
Microphone |
3 far-field mics, |
3 far-field mics, |
|
Dimensions |
86.6mm/3.4in excessive x 107mm/4.2in diameter |
42mm/1.65in excessive x 98mm/3.85mm diameter |
|
Weight |
396g |
181g |
|
Energy adapter |
30W USB-C PC/PPS charger |
15W barrel plug adapter |
|
RAM |
1GB LPDDR4 |
1GB RAM |
|
Storage |
4GB EMMC |
4GB EMMC |
|
Processor |
Quad-core A55 2.0 GHz with NPU |
Quad-core A53 1.4Ghz with ML {hardware} engine |
|
Connectivity |
Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, Thread 1.3 border router (2.4GHz), Matter, Google Forged |
Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, Google Forged |
|
Colours |
Globally: Hazel, Porcelain U.S. unique: Jade, Berry |
Chalk, Charcoal, Coral, Sky |
This ends in a speaker that executes many instructions quick (and a few close to immediately), however some instructions are nonetheless absurdly gradual. Even easy instructions, like setting a timer, would possibly take 20 seconds or extra to execute if one thing goes awry. Whereas that is doubtless only a bug occurring with the Google Residence Speaker at launch, it nonetheless reveals that Google is not retaining as many instructions native as I would like.
Since each gadgets assist Gemini, there isn’t any practical distinction in these audio system’ skill to make use of Google’s AI-powered assistant. The distinction is principally down to hurry, one thing I hope Google will proceed to enhance and tweak within the new speaker with future software program updates.
Google Residence Speaker (2026) vs. Nest Mini: Which must you purchase?
Whereas newer is not all the time higher (particularly when it is double the value), Google not sells the Nest Mini. You may all the time choose up a second-hand unit on eBay and check out your luck, particularly for those who simply need slightly speaker to hold on a wall.
In any other case, the Google Residence Speaker is a straightforward alternative. It is acquired considerably higher audio high quality, assist for Matter and Thread, Wi-Fi 6, newer Bluetooth for higher audio high quality, encompass sound assist with Google TV Streamers, and a greater processor for quicker sensible dwelling and Gemini queries.
