So, there are 3 products under the Google Home line: Home, Mini and Max.
Google Home Mini was released in October 2017. Google Home Max will be released in December 2017.
So, many potential Google Home users are wondering the difference between Google Home Mini and Google Home. They need some recommendation on whether they should get a Google Home or a Google Home Mini.
This Google Home Mini guide tries to explain the difference between Google Home and Google Home Mini to help you decide whether you should get Google Home or Google Home Mini.
Please note, the second generation of Google Home was released as Nest Audio, and the 2nd Gen Google Home Mini as Nest Mini.
As suggested by the name, Google Home Mini is a mini version of Google Home.
The size of Google Home Mini is substantially smaller than Google Home. The height of Google Home Mini is only about 42 mm (1.65 inches). In comparison, Google Home is about 142.8 mm (5.62 inches) high. The diameter of Google Home and Home Mini is similar: 96.4 mm ( 3.79 in, Google Home) vs 98 mm(3.86″, Mini).
The weight of Google Home is about 477g (1.05 lbs, excluding cables); while Google Home Mini is only about 173g (0.38 lbs).
For speakers, normally, the heavier, the better.
So, without checking inside, it is easy to assume Google Home has better audio quality than Google Home Mini.
This is generally correct.
But, you should not underestimate the audio quality and loudness of the small Google Home Mini. It is far better than many similarly-sized speakers.
Google Home Mini surely is not a replacement for Google Home.
They are targeted for different usages and different markets.
Google Home is priced at $129 as a mainstream smart speaker.
The $49 price point of Google Home Mini puts it as a budget smart device (neck and neck with Echo Dot).
As both Google Home and Google Home Mini can be connected to casting-enabled speakers (or Chromecast, or Chromecast Audio), you may not care too much about the difference between Google Home and Google Home mini if you already have a casing device with decent speakers.
Google Home has a changeable base. You can use a metal base (printed steel which is actually just polycarbonate/hard plastic) or a fabric base.
You can choose one of the 7 available colours for the base for Google Home: coral, mango, marine, violet (for fabric), copper, snow or carbon (for metal).
Of course, the base for Google Home is not free. It will cost you $20 (fabric) or $40 (metal).
Google Home Mini does not offer any customization. The top of Google Home Mini is covered with a textured fabric. There are 3 colour options for the fabric: chalk, charcoal or coral (red).
As explained in Google Home layout, you can use the top touch panel to adjust volume, pause/resume music, stop an alarm, or cancel a command.
For Google Home Mini, the control is different due to the lack of a touch panel.
You can tap the left side to lower the volume of Google Home Mini (and the right side to raise the volume). If you tap the middle, it will pause music, stop the alarm, or cancel a command.
In Google Home, there is a deactivated USB port at the bottom. It may be enabled in the future through a firmware update.
Google Home Mini does not have such a service port.
Although the two products are substantially different as mentioned above, Google Home and Google Home Mini do not have any differences in functions and features.
There are identical in features and functions.
Whatever you can do with Google Home (Google assistant, casting, using it as Bluetooth speaker…) can be done in Google Home Mini in a similar way.
It actually depends on your budget.
If you want to get a smart speaker with less than a $50 budget, Google Home Mini is the best option. It is far better than Amazon’s Echo Dot.
If you can raise your budget to $130, Google Home is the choice.
Please note, unlike Amazon Echo Dot, Google Home Mini does not have a 3.5mm audio output port. This means you cannot hook Google Home Mini to a bigger speaker.
If you have any questions or want to share your thoughts on Google Home Mini vs Google Home, please let us know in the comment box below.
The community will help you.
Other guides for Google Home Mini and Nest Mini can be found in the Google Home Mini Guides section.
Guides for Google Home and Google Home Max are listed in the Google Home Guides section.
If you have any question on Google Home Hub, Nest Hub (including 2nd Gen), or Nest Hub Max, you may check the Nest Hub Guides section.
You can reach us on our Facebook page or through email (contact form)
This post was last modified on June 8, 2021 9:40 am
Nest Hub Max and Nest Hub 2nd Gen allow you to use Quick Gestures to control the media playing and… Read More
You need to factory data reset Nest Hub if you want to hand the device to other users or if… Read More
You need to understand the layout of the Nest Hub (including Nest Hub 2nd Gen and Google Hoem Hub) to… Read More
Google launched the Nest Hub (2nd Gen) in March 2021 as an upgrade for the Google Home Hub, which was… Read More
Like other Google Home speakers, Nest Audio LED lights indicate the status or feedback of the speaker, and therefore you… Read More
You can control Nest Audio with the touch control panel or your voice (Google Assistant). This Google Home guide explains… Read More
View Comments
Purchase the Google home Mini and just have read through true of your online segments about its use. Being somewhat computer illiterate it appears I could spend an hour or more just sifting through uses how it works xcetera. A guide at the beginning with a preface of where to go like in chapters of a book would have been helpful
Need help changing WiFi and rotor-I after coming home from Florida
You first need to make sure the router works. After your phone can connect to the router and access Internet, your can then open the Home app. It should find the device to be set up.
I have a Google home and two Google minis . I can't figure out how to connect the Mimi ones to my system ! Help
All Google home devices can be set up individually. What's the problem or what do you want to do?
If you want to group them, you may follow this guide (it applies to Google home devices and Chromecast Audio, you can even mix Google Home devices with chromecast audio in the group) https://allaboutchromecast.com/chromecast-audio-guides/how-to-use-chromecast-audio-multi-room-group-playback/