Apple recently unveiled the HomePod mini, available in either white or Space Gray for $99. When smart speakers hit the market they were the ideal devices for streaming music, with voice commands making the experience all the more interactive. While somewhat of a novelty at first, smart speakers have become more affordable, and the sound quality and features greatly improved. This trend continues with the introduction of the HomePod mini.
Standing a mere 3.3-inches tall, the HomePod mini promises to deliver exceptional sound quality. Apple promotes the HomePod mini as the ultimate smart speaker that delivers a ton of Apple innovation at an affordable price. As expected, the HomePod mini works exceptionally well with other Apple devices. There are also several new features offered in the new HomePod mini, including Siri Shortcuts, the addition of ambient sounds, and music alarms.
With the introduction of Apple’s HomePod mini, there is another smart speaker added to an already competitive market. At $99, the HomePod mini is right in the middle of the crowd as far as price and sells for the same amount of money as Google’s Nest Audio. The choice between $99 smart speakers can be difficult, so here's a summary of some of the main differences between the HomePod mini and Nest Audio.
Sound Quality & Smart Home Support
When it comes to smart home control, the Nest Audio holds a slight advantage, but only because Google Assistant supports more smart home devices. Siri is limited, mainly due to the fact that smart home devices must have HomeKit capability, so there are fewer choices. The Nest Audio should sound good when listening to music, although it may lack somewhat in deep bass. The HomePod mini delivers amazing sound as well, thanks to Apple’s acoustic principles that deliver an excellent audio experience. HomePods mini speakers can also be paired together for stereo sound and the same audio can be played on multiple devices across many rooms, but the mini cannot be paired with the HomePod. The Nest Audio can be linked with all Google speakers for a stereo audio experience.
Privacy is a big focus on both the HomePod mini and Nest Audio. The HomePod mini only listens to Hey Siri keywords and is only activated when commanded or by touch. The Nest Audio will delete voice command history on demand and the microphone can be physically turned off. The bottom line is that music lovers, and especially iOS users, will likely gravitate towards Apple's HomePod mini, while those wanting to expand their smart home should probably opt for Google's Nest Audio.
Source: Apple