TESTED GOOGLE NEST MINIGoogle’s Home Mini smart speaker has evolved
into the new Nest Mini, with enough added
bass and brain power to justify your love
QIf you’re comfortable chatting
away to a small fabric blob to find
out the weather, play a podcast
or be taken through a recipe, the
Nest Mini is one of the cheapest
and most reliable voice-assistant
speakers you can buy. Think of it as
a capable but slightly quieter sibling
to the Google Home.QYou’d have to be the Columbo of
consumer tech to tell the Nest Mini
apart from the old Home Mini. But
the fabric cover is now made from
recycled plastic bottles and there’s
a fetching new blue colour option as
well as chalk, red and black. You still
get a switch on the side to turn off
the mics when you don’t want it
listening to your every cough.QGoogle claims the bass is twice
as good as before. We agree, and
it’s startlingly loud for its size, but
we still can’t recommend this as
a replacement hi-fi. It’s perfect for
playing podcasts or catching up on
the news, though.QGoogle Assistant is always
improving: the product you buy
today will get smarter month by
month as Google processes a world
of data requests and enhances
its answers and functionality. It’s
already far more consistent than
Siri, and on a level with Alexa.QVoice recognition is great: we
didn’t have to shout over loud
music to get the Nest Mini to hear
us. Smart home integration is
straightforward, with support for
Philips Hue bulbs and, of course,
Nest thermostats.If you live in Google’s world (and let’s face it, most of us do), then the Nest Mini is
about the best, cheapest way to get into the smart home game. Bear in mind that
the better-sounding Google Home only costs a few quid more; but if you want
a small smart speaker to stick in the kitchen, the Nest Mini gives you a radio,
encyclopaedia, recipe book and timer all in one.Bigger smart
speakers sound
better, but small
can be beautiful
Henry BurrellPucky star
STUFF SAYS Louder and cleverer than ever – and it’ll only improve over time +++++
Connectivity Bluetooth, Wi-Fi,
Google Assistant, touch controls,
Chromecast built in
Microphones 3x far-field
Dimensions 98x98x42mm, 181gQ Who’s that, girl?
The Voice Match feature means it
can recognise different users and
tailor things like calendar requests
to the right Google account. You
can add up to six people, which
is great if your family relies on the
Google ecosystem.Q Into the groove
A new addition is a wall mount
that lets you hang the Nest Mini
up. Once you get over the odd
look, it means the speaker can
easily be placed around head
height – which can sound better
than on a shelf or table.£49 / stuff.tv/NestMiniTech specs
Tapper
don’t preach
The touch controls
work well. A simple bop
on the nose pauses
whatever’s playing,
with another tap
to continue.