72 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 44
REVIEW
and hopefully not indicative of Google’s quality
control, but it’s by no means a necessary feature.Design
Google Home Mini is not simply a smaller version of
the standard box. This is a small pebble-shaped device
with a coloured fabric cover through which a row of
four LEDs are visible. These light up to alert you when
the Google Assistant is listening to you or thinking
about your request.
We reckon it looks nicer than the original, and
certainly nicer than the puck-like Amazon Echo Dot
with which it competes. You’d proudly display the
Google Home Mini within your home. But you might
have to give it a dust every so often.
It’s very lightweight at 173g, but as we noted the
fact it must be always-on and always plugged in
means you’re unlikely to carry it around. A built-in