According to the article, “Google Nest Mini Review", Pino (2020) stated that being a multipurpose speaker, Google Nest Mini also connects to the smart homes, utilizing Google Assistant. Users are able to control it by speaking to it or connecting their phones through Bluetooth. It comes in a variation of colours such as “Chalk (off-white) or Charcoal (grey-black)”. Using a fabric mesh for the top, it covers three buttons; two for volume and the last for play/pause. A microphone mute button can be found near the power port, by the rubberized base. Users can also hang the speakers on the wall easily. To switch to a smart device that connects to smart homes, users would be required to set up and use Google Assistant. With a simple command from the user, in the range of the device, the action will be carried out. That being said, the Google Nest Mini truly stands out compared to its competitors with its affordable price, improved voice recognition, and "great mid-range clarity".
One way it stands out is in terms of its price. Pino (2020) stated that the Google Nest Mini costs around "$49.99 / £49 / AU$79, but is often on sale for just $35 / £35" in different regions, which is relatively low, compared to the others in the market. The speaker is built with Bluetooth features, microphones, an on-board processor, and the speaker itself. Furthermore, it seemed that the majority of the speakers are incomparable in terms of features and size. Taking these components into consideration of the quality and brand that the users are paying for, it definitely is one of the cheapest smart speakers available.
Secondly, according to the article, "Nest Mini Review: Why Google's Latest Smart WHY GOOGLE'S LATEST SMART SPEAKER is WORTH BUYING", Schoon (2019) mentioned that the voice recognition was upgraded with the installation of "far-field microphone". Having a third microphone allowed it to focus on the user's commands by tuning out the background noises. Furthermore, some commands can be processed at a faster pace as Google had shrunk the information for understanding commands. Therefore, making the smart system outstanding from its competitors.
Lastly, based on the article, "GOOGLE NEST MINI REVIEW', Vigderman and Turner (2020) wrote that the upgraded microphones give users a 360 degree sound system experience. The 40mm driver plays a part in creating clear audio for the users. Despite being smaller in size, "3.85 inches in diameter and only 1.65 inches tall", the Google Nest Mini functions well with some of the upgraded features, such as the microphones.
Despite these amazing features that Google Nest Mini offers, according to the article, "GOOGLE HOME SPEAKERS HAVE A BIG PROBLEM - and it's FINALLY GETTING SORTED", Tambini (2020) stated that users faced an issue regarding "maintaining a Bluetooth connection without dropping out". This issue had been reported to Google for over a year but only addressed by Google recently. However, Google had not provided follow up actions to the negative feedback. Tambini mentioned that the disconnection occurs ranging from 2 minutes to 15 minutes after connecting the speaker via Bluetooth. In addition, the article, "THE MOST COMMON GOOGLE NEST MINI PROBLEMS, and HOW to FIX THEM", Lacoma (2020) offered temporary solutions to problems faced by users regarding the Google Nest Mini, one of which would be the connectivity. Lacoma mentioned, "My Nest Mini keeps unlinking from my Google Home account" with the elaboration that it is caused by "a bug in the software". The solution given to users was to reboot and reconnect the device. However, if the problem still persists, nothing can be done but to wait for Google's update.
The situation would not be too urgent if the Google Nest Mini had a 3.5mm jack for wired connection. According to the article, "GOOGLE'S NEST MINI is a GREAT-SOUNDING UPGRADE OVER THE HOME MINI", Faulkner (2019) made a comparison between the Google Nest Mini and the Amazon Echo Dot (3rd gen), which included the lack of a 3.5mm jack for wired connection. Users who faced the issue would have the alternative of using the wired connection for a temporary solution while waiting for Google to fix the bug. Without the wired connection, users would not be able to use the device even as a normal speaker. Therefore, Google could in-build a 3.5mm jack for a wired connection.
References
Pino, N. (2020, October 1). Google Nest Mini review. TechRadar. https://www.techradar.com/sg/reviews/google-nest-mini
Schoon, B. (2019, November 18). Nest Mini Review: Why Google's latest smart speaker is worth buying. 9To5Google. https://9to5google.com/2019/11/18/google-nest-mini-review/
Vigderman, A. & Turner, G. (2020, July 3). Google Nest Mini Review. Security.org. https://www.security.org/smart-home/google/review/nest-mini/
Lacoma, T. (2020, October 1). The most common Google Nest Mini problems, and how to fix them. DigitalTrends. https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/common-google-nest-mini-problems-and-how-to-fix-them/
Tambini, O. (2020, March 2). Google Home Speakers have a big problem - and it's finally getting sorted. TechRadar. https://www.techradar.com/sg/news/google-home-speakers-have-a-big-problem-and-its-finally-getting-sorted
Faulkner, C. (2019, October 21). Google's Nest Mini is a great-sounding upgrade over the Home Mini. The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/21/20921173/google-nest-mini-echo-dot-assistant-smart-speaker-review