Google Nest Mini, the challenger to Amazon Echo Dot, has been launched in India. The search giant launched the Nest Mini alongside the Pixel 4 lineup in New York last month. The smart speaker is the successor to Google Home Mini from 2017 and becomes part of the Nest range of products. In terms of looks and appearance, the Nest Mini looks identical to the Google Home Mini. Despite an identical design, Google claims that Nest Mini offers better sound than its predecessor.
Google Nest Mini: Price and Features
The Nest Mini debuts in India at a time when smart speakers are growing in popularity and adoption. During the Great Indian Sale, Amazon has increased its sales of Echo smart speakers. With third generation Echo Dot available in India, the Nest Mini will have some challenges right off the bat. Google Nest Mini will be available in India via Flipkart at Rs 4,499 and is available in two colors: chalk and charcoal. The company is not offering the coral and light blue color options in India just yet.
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With the Nest Mini, Google is mainly focusing on the audio prowess of the smart speaker. It claims the device has two times stronger bass than the original Google Home Mini. The company says that it has included a custom driver to improve the bass. There is also a proprietary tuning software to enhance the sound output. There is also a new intercom feature allowing users to take calls from their phone or another smart speaker or display. “Nest Mini has a richer and more natural sound that allows you to hear more detail and is authentic to the artist’s intent,” the company said in a statement.
While playing audio content, the speaker will light up if you place your hand closer to the device and you can then adjust the volume. As part of Nest family of devices, it can be paired with other devices to create a surround sound system. Other features include a third microphone and a dedicated chip for machine learning. The central brain of Nest Mini is Google Assistant and the search giant says it is faster than ever. Google Assistant supports two voices in English in India. Like Echo Dot, it also supports Hindi as these companies try to tap into non-English speaking customers.
One of the interesting feature with the Nest Mini is the included wall mount. This makes it easier whether you want to use the smart speaker on your desk or mount it to a wall. For streaming music, it supports YouTube Music, Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, and Wynk. On Nest Mini, users can get entire music catalog of Gaana without ads for free. It also works with smart home devices from brands like Philips Hue, Syska and others. At Rs 4,499, the Nest Mini seems expensive than Echo Dot but it might be a better sounding speaker of the two.
