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These smart displays are ideal for making Google Duo video calls to friends and family members. Like a larger version of the Google Home Hub, the Nest Hub Max is big-screen smart display for your home, with a front-facing camera for video calls and the facility to check on your home remotely. However, it keeps its four physical buttons on top for volume up, volume down, microphone mute, and the action button to activate Alexa without having to say the wake word. On the back, you're going to find a power port with a 3.5 millimeter auxiliary jack to connect this to an external speaker or to a better sound system. This way, you can control the different features and a string of voice commands that will benefit most from each device. Alongside hardware connectivity, both devices can also access “skills” or “actions” that deliver enhanced features like news reports, recipes, reservation bookings, jokes, quizzes, and more.
So for example, I can say, Hey Google, move music to the kitchen. Now, unfortunately, as of right now, you can't do that with your Echo device. The Echo Dot has a radical new design with its 4th generation. Instead of the traditional hockey puck look, it's now a ball with a flat, rubber bottom to keep it from sliding. If you're looking to bring some smarts into your home, we've got two great candidates right here.
Google Home Mini
Please allow additional time if international delivery is subject to customs processing. Cleared payment cleared payment - opens in a new window or tab. Google's Home Mini is clearly inferior as a hardware product, but there's no denying Google Assistant is superior to Alexa in just about every way. It's easier to use, you have access to more useful features, and the multi-account system on Google Assistant actually works. Google Assistant simply has access to more of your life, and is able to use that information to be more useful to you. Alexa is mostly just in your house for now, and unless you do a lot of shopping through Alexa there isn't a compelling reason to use it over Assistant most of the time.
If you plan to mute the mics regularly, the process is more straightforward with the Echo Dot, which has its buttons up top. What’s more, you must hold the device steady to flip the switch, but holding the sides can adjust the volume controls—a design that clearly presumes most users won’t do this often. Again, your location may determine what other music services you'll be able to access on your Google Home.
Amazon Echo Dot vs. Google Home Mini: Which Should You Get?
Integrated Chromecast and enhanced audio format support demonstrate Google’s belief that the Nest Mini can serve as a competent, if compact, stand-alone speaker, alongside other duties. We think more people may like the softer, rounded look of the Home Mini more than the Echo Dot, though neither is something to set in the middle of your dining room table. The Echo Dot comes in white or black, while the Home Mini comes in white/light gray, dark gray, or red/orange with matching fabric covers. At best, they disappear into the background equally until they light up upon hearing their names.
It also has a 3.5 mm output jack to connect to a non-wireless audio system with a cable. I have one wired into my home theater receiver, which plays through a 7.2 speaker system. Not only does it allow you to use Siri for voice commands and interactions, but a HomePod Mini doubles as a HomeKit Hub. That means you can control smart home devices when you’re not home.
Google Nest Hub Max
One other point worth mentioning is the Google Home Mini's array of far-field microphones. In almost all of my tests, they were able to hear me about as well as the ones in the Echo Dot. Both did a great job in a quiet setting, but required the occasional raised voice during music playback. Small speakers like the Mini aren't going to replace your full-scale home audio setup anytime soon.
Unless you hook up a Dot to another speaker over Bluetooth or the 3.5mm jack, it's just too thin and harsh to fully enjoy. With beefed-up sound at the price of a standard Echo model it's well worth looking at the third-gen Echo if you're thinking of buying a new smart speaker. However, lots of users who have put the two devices head-to-head believe Google Assistant could be the smarter of the two.
Best for video: Tie
Now click Pair Bluetooth speaker and you should hopefully see your Echo there waiting to be selected.
One of the things I like best about a Google Assistant-powered speaker is that it shares relevant information with my Android phone. So if I ask for the traffic to San Francisco, it tells me and sends the route to Google Maps. Or when I ask where to buy Chinese food, it sends details on local restaurants. Stay updated on the latest products and services anytime, anywhere.
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Each is fairly good at hearing commands, even when you’re in a different room. Despite the lack of physical buttons, the Home Mini still has touch controls you can use. To adjust the volume, you tap the sides of the device, or you can long press the sides to play and pause music. I wasn't a huge fan of the touch controls — they aren't quite responsive enough when you want to use them, and yet it's hard not to activate them by mistake whenever you pick the thing up. Alexa is the voice assistant for Echo and it is powered by Bing as its main search engine. Home Mini, on the other hand, has the Google Assistant which is widely used by Android smartphone users.
Check out our roundup of things Google Assistant can do for more info, or head to the Google Assistant partners page for all the brands Google Home can work with. If you want better sound, the Echo Dot has a 3.5mm aux output, so you can connect it to external speakers (including battery/speaker combos, such as the Ninety7 Vaux). And both the Dot and the Mini can be connected to external Bluetooth speakers, but those solutions diminish the benefits of having a small, compact unit. Both allow you to review your history of commands, listen to the audio picked up by the speaker, and delete individual commands if you wish. Here's what to know before choosing a miniature smart speaker.
In a head-to-head audio test, the Home Mini simply blew the Echo Dot out of the water. At 1.7 inches tall and 3.9 inches in diameter, Google Home Mini is slightly larger than the Echo Dot (1.5 inches tall and 3.3 inches in diameter), but you won't notice the difference on your nightstand. So kudos to Google for making the Home Mini something that looks and feels friendlier. It's small and round like the Echo Dot, but its curved sides give it a softer look. Like with the larger Google Home, the top of the Mini is swathed in a gray fabric, which only adds to its homeyness. There's no right or wrong approach really – Google's is simpler, but Alexa's encourages faster and broader development and support from third-parties.
Google wants users to have a true hands-free experience using the Google Assistant voice control. Pair it with the Domino’s Pizza app for the easiest delivery ever. Order my usual from Domino’s.” The voice assistant will then send your order to Domino’s for delivery. Goes from here forward, the Dot has an important hardware feature that the Mini surprisingly lacks -- a line-out jack. You can plug the Dot into your own speakers to make up for its own lack of sound quality. Both assistants -- and thus both speakers -- are very capable at this point and will adequately respond to most questions and commands you can think to throw at them.
Music playback was more passable with the Home Mini, too -- though, like the Dot, you really shouldn't plan on using it for anything more than close-range, casual listening. To wake it up, you say "OK, Google" or "Hey, Google," and then you give it a question or command. You can ask it to play music, turn your smart home gadgets on and off, look up a fact for you, control Netflix and YouTube on your Chromecast-enabled TV plus a whole host of other tricks.
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