Google Home Mini news: Release date, price & features
Google Home Mini is, as the name suggests,a smaller version of theGoogle Homeintended to serve asa rival to theAmazon Echo Dot. It’s a compact smart speaker packed with the full power of Google Assistant, but small enough to fit almost anywhere in the home.(Also read ourGoogle Home Mini review.)
The Mini features less audio muscle-power than the full Home, but all the Google Assistant features we know and love, including recent additions such as Bluetooth audio, and support for multiple user accounts and Spotify Free.
Sadly, one of its key features has just been removed ahead of release: the ability to wake the Google Assistant by touching the top of the device.
This is due to a malfunction with the sensor which has – in a small number of devices – led the Google Assistant to wake and start listening in on conversations when it was not supposed to.
Google has permanently removed the feature, it toldWareable: “We take user privacy and product quality concerns very seriously. Although we only received a few reports of this issue, we want people to have complete peace of mind while using Google Home Mini.
“We have made the decision to permanently remove all top touch functionality on the Google Home Mini. As before, the best way to control and activate Google Home Mini is through voice, by saying ‘Ok Google’ or ‘Hey Google,’ which is already how most people engage with our Google Home products. You can still adjust the volume by using the touch control on the side of the device.”
Also see:Best Google Home: Google Home vs Mini vs Max vs HubandGoogle Home Mini 2 rumours
When is the Google Home Mini release date?
The Google Home Mini went on sale in the UK and US from19 October, and you can order it from theGoogle Storenow.
Google announced the mini version of its Google Home speaker at its special event on 4 October 2017, alongside the largerGoogle Home Max, newPixel 2 phones, thePixelbook, and theDaydream View VR headset.
Read ourGoogle Home Mini hands-on review.
How much does the Google Home Mini cost in the UK?
The Google Home Mini costs £49 in the UK and $49 in the US. Conveniently, that’s the exact same price as Amazon’s Echo Dot, reinforcing the Home Mini’s positioning as a direct rival to the Dot.
It’s even cheaper for Black Friday, enjoying aUK price cut down to just £34, undercutting theEcho Dot by 99p.
You can order Home Mini from theGoogle Store, but it is also sold by other retailers, includingCurrys,Argos,John Lewis,EE,Carphone Warehouse, andVeryin the UK.
There is a way to get it for free though.Buy a Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XLand you’ll receive a free Google Home Mini.
(Also see:Is Google planning an Echo Show rival?)
What are the Google Home Mini’s features?
The Google Home Mini is a powered box (rather than wireless), and will have integrated Google Assistant, just like the core Google Home, including recent features like Voice Match and hands-free calling, which is coming to the UK later in 2017.
That’s about where the similarities end though, because the Mini has a very different design. Instead of just shrinking the Home down, Google has created a whole new design: a round disc, with no corners or edges, with the top half coated in a custom fabric mesh.
The fabric cover was intended to be touch-sensitive, but as we’ve explained above that has now been removed. But you can still change the volume using the touch control on the side of the device. There are also four LEDs, which light up to indicate when the Assistant is listening to or answering a query.
In terms of audio, the Home Mini offers 360-degree sound, though it’s unlikely to rival the regular Home – or any decent speaker you have at home. Still, you can wirelessly link it to any Chromecast-enabled speaker to make the most of the best sound system you have around.
The Home Mini is available in three colours: Chalk, Charcoal and Coral.
Author: Marie Black, Editorial Director, International
Marie is Editorial Director at Foundry. A Journalism graduate from the London College of Printing, she’s worked in tech media for almost 20 years, covering all types of consumer tech from smartphones and their accessories to smart home gear. These days she manages our international editorial teams and leads on content strategy, having witnessed first-hand Foundry’s transition from print, to digital, to online - and beyond.
