Google Nest Mini – the low-cost way to add an OK Google speaker (AV review)

The Google Nest Mini costs $79 and is currently on special for $49 (until 12/9/2022), so hurry online and bag a bargain.

This is a later generation to the original Mini that helped make OK Google a household word. There is not a lot to say about the speaker, so we will keep the review short

Australian review: Google Nest Mini

AU website	here
Price	$79 RRP but on Google for $49 until 12/9/2022
Warranty	One year
Country of manufacture	China
Company	Google is an American multinational technology company specialising in Internet-related services and products, including online advertising, a search engine, cloud computing, software, and hardware. It is considered one of the Big Five US tech companies with Amazon, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft.
Other	CyberShack Google Nest news and reviews

We use Fail (below expectations), Pass (meets expectations) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. We occasionally give a Pass(able) rating that is not as good as it should be and a Pass ‘+’ rating to show it is good but does not quite make it to Exceed.

You can click on most images for an enlargement.

First Impression – cute and colourful – Pass+

You can get it in Chalk, Charcoal, Coral and Sky. It is small, ultimately useful, and the start of your OK Google Adventure.

• 40mm speaker, 360° sound, 60Hz to 20kHz
• three far-field mics (switchable on/off) and good for over 5 meters
• Chalk, Charcoal, Coral and Sky
• 98 (Round) x 42mm (H) x 183g
• Wall mountable (but the hanging power cord is obvious)
• 1.5m plug cable 15W charger (supplied)
• Wi-Fi AC 2.4 or 5Ghz
• An updated SoC (CPU) can do more on the device with Machine Learning hardware engine, e.g., alarms, local commands etc. This is much more powerful and probably accounts for better DSP (sound processing).

Sound – Surprisingly good for a small speaker – Pass

Frequency	Google Nest Mini
Deep Bass: 20-40Hz	None
Middle Bass: 40-100Hz	Building
High Bass: 100 to 200Hz	Building
Low-mid: 200-400Hz	Flat from 236Hz
Mid: 400-1000Hz	Flat
High-mid: 1-2kHz	Flat
Low-treble: 2-4kHz	Flat
Treble: 4-6kHz	Flat
High Treble: 6-10kHz	Decline
Dog whistle: 10-20kHz	Drop off a cliff from 15kHz

It actually has some mid-and-high-bass – not that a 40mm mono speaker can do much with it, but it is pretty listenable. Volume is a good 80dB but don’t drive it that hard. It can stereo pair (not really for high-fidelity). It is Mid-centric which is best for clear voice.

Of more importance is what Google Assistant can do

We won’t go into depth, but there is a good overview here. If you want to see if Google Assistant is right for you, start with a Mini.

CyberShack’s view – The Google Nest Mini is Mighty

It is hard to put a number on Smart Assistant use, and figures for Australia are a little rubbery. Amazon is not as well-known or trusted in Australia, so Google Assistant leads. Indicative 2021/22 figures put Google at 80%, Alexa at 15% and Siri at 5%. That is because companies like Sonos (that supports both Assistants), IKEA Symfonisk, Bose, JBL, Lenovo, LG, Yamaha, Sony, Samsung (Harman Kardon) and Google Nest produce Google Assistant speakers. Many also support Bluetooth Chromecast, the default Android audio and video casting.

Every Android smartphone has an embedded Google Assistant as well as Android Auto, Android TV, Android Wear and more. Google Assistant is so far ahead of Alexa by sheer force of these numbers that there is no competition.

VoiceBot stated, “Amazon’s share seems to be coming from its paid Prime members who were 50% more likely to buy the Alexa speaker”. Tellingly the vast majority clearly bought OK Google-based speakers.

Read more: Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa – the battle of the smart assistants is over.