Should you buy the original Google Home or go for the Home Mini? It seems technology has come very far from the conventional stereo systems which were then considered state-of-the-art tech. That became a thing of the past with the advent of digital revolution and then ear-buds, or tiny portable speakers took over. As technology diversified, voice-based smart home speakers starts ushering in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) with tech giants like Amazon and Google banking on smart speakers equipped with voice based virtual assistant. It’s been a few years since smart speakers first made their appearance and they already took over the whole digital space. Google Home and the Mini are the two such smart additions to your smart home. They look like your average home speakers but are capable of everything from controlling your music to communicating with you.

What is Google Home?

A smart addition to your smart home, Google Home is a voice-based smart speaker which can do more than just play music – it’s your very own personal assistant which communicates with you and listens to you. It’s more like a control center for your smart home which is insanely intelligent and supremely versatile in many ways. Not only it streams music playbacks directly from the cloud but it also controls your smart home gadgets. In simple terms, it’s a portable Wi-Fi speaker with the smarts of “Google Assistant”, the company’s very own virtual assistant. All you have to do is say those two magical words “Ok Google” and voila. It pulls everything off of your Google account to tell you when you next flight is, when your appointment is scheduled, how the traffic is, and what’s hot in Spotify, almost everything. And the best part it’s always listening.

What is Google Home Mini?

The Home Mini, as the name suggests, is the miniature and cheaper version of the original Google Home with all the bells and whistles. But don’t let its size fool you. It’s basically a no-brainer but with all the necessary features you’d expect from a smart home speaker. It may be overshadowed by the recent announcement of Pixel 2 but it’s still got everything to put the company’s dethroned status back in line.  It makes a smart addition to the company’s smart home ecosystem. It has two far-field microphones able to recognize your voice even with all the background noise around it. Powered by Google Assistant, it not only controls your music but also your smart home devices, all while going places. It offers dynamic room-filling sound to bring your music to life. You ask it answers. Just say “Ok Google” and enjoy the smarts of Google Assistant.

Difference between Google Home and Google Home Mini

1) Design of Google Home and Google Home Mini

The original Google Home is the regular-sized smart home speaker which resembles a wine glass in terms of design. It’s aesthetically designed with a slightly bulbous bottom which can be swapped in one of different color options. The Home Mini, on the other hand, is the miniature version of the Google Home which is significantly smaller in size.

2) Portability of Google Home and Google Home Mini

The vase-like design of Google Home definitely stands out and while it’s portable enough to be carried around with ease, the Home Mini is significantly smaller which makes it a smart addition to just any room where you’d like a voice assistant. However, the miniature Home doesn’t stand out like the original Home does.

3) Audio Quality of Google Home and Google Home Mini

The original Google Home delivers offers clear and better audio experience making it an ideal smart home speaker to keep a small party alive with some great music. It also gives you control of your Chromecast. The Home Mini isn’t made for audiophiles as sound quality is good but not enough to host a party.

4) Charging Port of Google Home and Google Home Mini

While both the devices are functionally identical considering the things that matter, the Mini uses the old-school Micro-USB port for power instead of the rather versatile USB-C to power the device. The original Google Home, on the other hand, uses a coaxial DC power jack to charge.

5) Features of Google Home and Google Home Mini

The original Google Home is a cylindrical-shaped smart speaker with a touch sensitive top surface which features colored LEDs to show the status when the device is listening or communicating with you. It also doubles as capacitive controls to adjust the volume and start/stop the music. The Home Mini also features a touch sensitive top surface but in a small pebble-like design. Instead of colored lights, they are set in a default hue of white, plus it has a switch instead of a button to mute.

Google Home vs. Home Mini: Comparison Chart

Summary of Google Home and Google Home Mini

This is everything you need to know about the Google’s duo of voice-based smart speakers. While both the devices are functionally identical with built-in Google Assistant to carry out the small tasks, they have their fair share of differences in terms of design and specifications. The original Google Home is the average-sized vase-shaped smart speaker like its equally worthy rival Amazon Echo. As the original member of the Google smart speaker line, it’s one of the most versatile devices among the Home family of smart devices with all the bells and whistles. The Home Mini, is the cheaper version of the original Home with all the functionality of Google Assistant but in a smaller pebble-shaped design.

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