The New Google Home Mini: A Second-Generation Smart Speaker with Significant Improvements

The new Google Home Mini, also known as the Nest Mini, is the second generation of Google's smallest smart speaker. It boasts several changes and improvements compared to its predecessor, including a fresh new design that features four colors available for purchase: charcoal, sky, coral, and chalk. The top fabric of the speaker has retained its familiar look from the first generation but has been upgraded to be made entirely out of 100% recycled plastic. This eco-friendly change is a significant step forward in reducing electronic waste.

On the other side of the speaker, there are several notable changes that enhance its functionality and user experience. One of the most noticeable upgrades is the addition of a wall mount, which allows users to attach the speaker directly to their wall. This provides a convenient way to place the speaker without having it take up valuable space on a table or shelf. Furthermore, the speaker's internal components have been modified to create a larger base that results in a deeper sound output. While this may require slightly more space than its predecessor, it is clear that Google has prioritized improving the overall listening experience.

The Nest Mini also features an enhanced microphone system, which now consists of three microphones that can detect voice commands from across the room. This means that users no longer need to be in close proximity to the speaker to activate its functions or play music. In addition to this upgrade, touch controls for playing and pausing music have been added to the top of the speaker. These controls are intuitive and easy to use, allowing users to seamlessly control their music playback experience.

Another innovative feature of the Nest Mini is Google's ultrasound technology. This technology utilizes LEDs on the speaker that light up when a user approaches it with their hand. The LEDs provide visual feedback, guiding the user to touch specific areas to adjust the volume or pause/play music. This feature is particularly useful for users who may not be familiar with the speaker's controls.

The Nest Mini also boasts an upgraded processor, known as the ML chip, which enables local processing of voice commands and actions. Unlike its predecessor, which relied on cloud-based processing, the Nest Mini can now perform certain tasks locally, such as executing routines or playing music, without needing to share information with the cloud. This improvement enhances user privacy and reduces latency.

Another significant feature of the Nest Mini is Ambient IQ, a technology that detects background noise and adjusts the speaker's output accordingly. When there is significant background noise, such as in a busy coffee shop or during a podcast with loud audio, the Nest Mini can automatically adjust its volume to ensure clear listening. This feature is designed to provide an optimal listening experience regardless of the user's environment.

Availability

The Nest Mini will be available for pre-order on October 15th and will hit store shelves on October 22nd. At this point, users can expect to experience the full range of improvements and features that make the second-generation Google Home Mini an exciting addition to any smart home setup.

Testing and Evaluation

While the Nest Mini is set to be released soon, there will likely be extensive testing and evaluation conducted by various reviewers and experts in the field. These tests will provide valuable insights into the speaker's performance, user experience, and overall value proposition. As such, stay tuned for more information as this smart speaker becomes available for purchase.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhey Google place amusing this is the new Google home mini actually it's the nest mini it's the second generation of Google's smallest smart speaker and they've made several changes as you can see there's four colors you can have charcoal sky coral or chalk and the top fabric looks the same as the first generation but it's actually made of a hundred percent recycled plastic there's also a few changes on the other side as well you can see they've added a wall mount so if you want you can stick this up on your wall and talk to Google from there on the inside they've changed the speaker to the first generation is this one right here and it's a little bit smaller the second generation is noticeably thicker and it's made to create bigger base so it takes up a little more space so that you get a little bit of a deeper sound out of this small smart speaker there's also a new microphone so now you have a total of three mics listening for your voice from across the room touch controls for playing and pausing music are now on the top but the rest of the speaker is pretty familiar there's not an audio jack or anything different in that respect so Google also added something called ultrasound technology and that sense is when my hand is close to the speaker so if I come closer like this these two LEDs will light up and those tell me where to touch for the volume so I can turn it down or back up and like we talked about earlier you can also pause and play music from the top now so I can tap it here to pause it tap it again to play inside the nest mini there's now an ml chip and an ml chip we'll learn things like when you ask for routines over and over again turning on the lights or playing your favorite song and the mini will be able to do that locally instead of sharing information with the cloud with an S mini google has also added ambient IQ and that detects background noise to adjust the sound of a podcast or your news depending on how much noise is happening around you and the nest mini will be available for pre-order October 15th and in stores on October 22nd stay tuned for more as we test it out at the CNN smart homehey Google place amusing this is the new Google home mini actually it's the nest mini it's the second generation of Google's smallest smart speaker and they've made several changes as you can see there's four colors you can have charcoal sky coral or chalk and the top fabric looks the same as the first generation but it's actually made of a hundred percent recycled plastic there's also a few changes on the other side as well you can see they've added a wall mount so if you want you can stick this up on your wall and talk to Google from there on the inside they've changed the speaker to the first generation is this one right here and it's a little bit smaller the second generation is noticeably thicker and it's made to create bigger base so it takes up a little more space so that you get a little bit of a deeper sound out of this small smart speaker there's also a new microphone so now you have a total of three mics listening for your voice from across the room touch controls for playing and pausing music are now on the top but the rest of the speaker is pretty familiar there's not an audio jack or anything different in that respect so Google also added something called ultrasound technology and that sense is when my hand is close to the speaker so if I come closer like this these two LEDs will light up and those tell me where to touch for the volume so I can turn it down or back up and like we talked about earlier you can also pause and play music from the top now so I can tap it here to pause it tap it again to play inside the nest mini there's now an ml chip and an ml chip we'll learn things like when you ask for routines over and over again turning on the lights or playing your favorite song and the mini will be able to do that locally instead of sharing information with the cloud with an S mini google has also added ambient IQ and that detects background noise to adjust the sound of a podcast or your news depending on how much noise is happening around you and the nest mini will be available for pre-order October 15th and in stores on October 22nd stay tuned for more as we test it out at the CNN smart home\n"