Google Nest Mini Review

by titoji · July 20, 2021

Google Nest Mini (2nd Gen) is a good deal for those looking for an affordable smart speaker. It captures voice control commands accurately and has a decent audio quality. It is very useful for controlling smart devices at home like smart lights and smart plugs. And kids love playing around the Google Assistant with their silly questions.

Small and Affordable

Google Nest Mini is just 98mm in diameter. It easily fits on my palm. The small size makes it easy to mount on the wall or to give it a small spot on a shelf or desk. I had it hanged on the wall with a small hook. It should be secure since it is very light at just about 180 grams.

I like the minimalist design. It has no visible buttons except for the mic switch hidden on the side. It has touch sensors for volume on the sides and play/pause in the middle. The LED lights activate to indicate that the Google Nest Mini is listening or answering to a command.

The Google Nest Mini is priced at 1,530.00. You can purchase them either in Lazada or Shopee. The price would vary depending on the store. It’s an affordable device that can do so much.

Excellent Voice Recognition

It is not perfect but the voice recognition is very good. It can recognize my own voice since I enabled the Voice Match feature. It is able to capture most of my voice commands. It does make mistakes with some words that sound close to it other. But repeating the commands slower and clearer would trigger the correct response.

It even answers to absurd questions. There are several funny Google Assistant commands and answers to try. We love to play with it. Kids like to ask Google Assistant with animal sounds. Try it .

What impresses me is how the Google Nest Mini can pick up my commands at different angles and even if it is a bit noisy in the background. I can be at the far side of the room and yet the Google Nest Mini can hear me clearly without shouting.

Decent Sound Quality

Google Nest Mini has an improve sound quality than the original Mini. However, it is not really a hi-fi speaker but the music is decent and loud. The bass is just fine and the vocals are clear. But the high frequency details seems lacking. For best sound output, it is recommended to be mounted to a wall instead of lying on a desk.

Smart Speaker for Smart Home

I primarily use the Google Nest Mini to control smart devices at home. It is easier to use voice commands than opening up the app every time I need to make use the smart devices. Since I am using several brands of smart devices, there are several app to use as well. The Google Nest Mini serves as a one-stop controller for all of the smart devices. It is very convenient.

I also use it to set timers, alarms, and reminders. I can also ask it to provide news and weather. I can use it to stream music through Spotify even if I don’t have a premium account.