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Kris Wouk is a musician, writer, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. A tech enthusiast for as long as he can remember, he definitely has favorite operating systems and devices, but uses as many others as he can anyway, just to stay caught up. If you think the two speakers are tied on features that matter to you, the best way to choose is to think about the services you already use. If you're all-in on Google's ecosystem, the Google Home Mini is probably your best bet.
So if you have a lot of smart home devices already, Alexa might be your best bet. Alexa’s version is a bit more complex, but once you get the hang of it you can easily set up detailed routines based on exactly what you want to do. Alexa also still beats Google Assistant when it comes to compatibility, so there’s a greater chance of your smart devices actually working with the Dot. Pair it with the Domino’s Pizza app for the easiest delivery ever.
Google Home Mini vs. Amazon Echo Dot: Hardware
However, lots of users who have put the two devices head-to-head believe Google Assistant could be the smarter of the two. Learning experience, and wider variety of voices than Alexa, it has the biggest potential for the future. While the Echo Dot features a hockey puck-shape with fabric-covered sides and button on top, the Google Home Mini has a puck-shape and encases its touch-sensitive controls beneath a fabric. The Echo Dot is available in charcoal, heather gray or sandstone. Google Assistant, meanwhile, uses the Google Shopping platform, so it has a wider reach.
The Mini features microphone muting via a rear switch along with subtle touch-sensitive volume controls on either side of the device. Alternatively, if you already have a set of speakers you like, the Echo Dot is the better option because it can connect wirelessly to any Bluetooth speaker. 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. A recent update also allows any Alexa device to control any existing Sonos speakers you might have (although this feature doesn’t support all music services, which we touch upon in our Sonos One review). At the end of the day, it ultimately depends on what you are looking for in your AI-powered smart speaker.
Features
The device has an option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the device. As the brainchild of Google, Google Assistant excels at general search and information requests. It’s the equivalent of using Google instead of Bing or Yahoo for search. As well, the Assistant is better at understanding more complex queries and strings of commands; with Alexa, you need to dictate one command at a time. And, despite its looks, the Echo Show sounds better than the Echo Plus and Echo, though not so dramatically as to forgive it some of its other failings. 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.
Now in its third generation, the Echo Dot doesn't have the best audio quality in the range, so it's best suited for rooms where music playback won’t be its primary function. That said, you can pair it up with a Bluetooth speaker or another audio device using an AUX jack connection, making it a cost-effective upgrade you can make to any aging Hi-Fi system. Frankly, there's very little difference between the two right now.
Design and functionality
Once done, you can play your offline song collection or even an unsupported app using the smart speakers. It’s a smart Bluetooth speaker with access to Spotify, Google Play Music, YouTube Music, iHeartRadio, and more. It offers smooth stereo sound when paired with another Google Home Mini or any Bluetooth speaker. Think of it as a less expensive version of Sonos or Bose smart speakers. The HomePod Mini is the smallest out of the leading smart speakers, with a design that’s about the size of an apple.
Even if you've decided between Alexa vs. Google Assistant, for example, you need to choose which slight variation on the speaker you prefer. In the case of the Echo Dot, you can choose from Sandstone, Heather Gray, Charcoal, and Plum. Charcoal is also an option for the Google Home Mini, as is Chalk, and two fun colors; Coral and Aqua. Comparing Google Home vs. Alexa is just the start, which is why we've put together this smart speaker comparison.
Keep in mind that, with both Alexa and Google Assistant, third-party speaker manufacturers are increasingly choosing to integrate the voice helpers into their own products. Both shopping options can shop by recognized voice, but Alexa provides an additional security code option you can enable for safety. Both the Echo Dot line and the Nest Mini line allow you to use their respective assistants to set up voice shopping capabilities.
While the Google Home Mini has outperformed the Echo Dot in the past, providing deeper, richer sound, this is no longer the case. The 3rd generation Dot features a 1.6” speaker and a larger driver than previous generations, producing up to 70 percent better sound than before. You’ll really hear the difference when streaming music, but even calls sound better with the Dot. The Mini produces a slightly tinny sound that can make it difficult to make out what the person on the other line is saying. The 4th Gen Dot sounds significantly louder than the Nest Mini. But the Echo Dot’s microphones simply aren’t as sensitive to voice commands.
Its bass is well tuned, its mids and highs well defined, and its top volume levels loud without verging into highly distorted territory. The new Google Nest Mini is set to sound even better too, withy the inclusion of an extra speaker. Alexa's Drop In feature only works with other Alexa-enabled devices. That's a tough question because they're both similar and we find it difficult to pick between the two.
Google’s offering is certainly smaller at this point but is expanding quickly, adding features like a multilingual mode, a translator mode, and step-by-step cooking instructions. The Nest Mini may not have a clock option, but it still uses LED dots to communicate, and it’s available in chalk, charcoal, coral, and sky. Again, the build quality is excellent, and the Nest Mini’s pincushion form gives the device its own identity. Google’s recent design upgrade made the nest Mini more eco-friendly too. But, what sets it apart is the notch on its underside, which allows you to hang it on a wall. The Google Home Mini is compatible with Google Chromecast for hands-free video streaming and Android for hands-free calendar event creation, making lists with Google Keep, setting reminders and more.
The resolution is given as a compound value, comprised of horizontal and vertical pixels. AptX is a codec used for transmitting audio wirelessly with Bluetooth. It is developed by Qualcomm, and supports 16-bit audio at a bit rate of 384kbps. The higher the high-frequency response, the clearer and crispier the treble.
It is usually used in combination with a woofer to produce deep bass tones. Both are round and can fit in the palm of your hand, making them easy to place discreetly around the home. The choice really then comes down to the preference of ecosystem as opposed to the hardware. Then Google Home is probably for you, as the two areas are only going to become ever-more-closely linked.
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. 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. Again, the Echo Dot leads here, with a plethora of different types of skills available for the device .
In fact, if you already have these devices, the Google hub will automatically seek them out as soon as you sync it to your home’s WiFi network. 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. More microphones result in better sound quality and enable the device to filter out background noise.
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