Amazon‘s Echo, the Nest Audio by Google, and Apple‘s HomePod Mini are now the three most recognized innovative smart speaker models.
At their core, they all perform the same functions as in, enabling you to receive answers to your questions, operate your house, make phone calls, and play music using only your voice.
They also cost about the same, around $99.
However, these three smart speakers have size, style, and sound quality variations, and your interaction with each may vary depending on which Apple, Google, and Amazon items you already have.
Don’t know which smart speaker to get? We have thoroughly evaluated the Amazon Echo, Google Nest Audio, and Apple HomePod Mini to make the decision easier.
Quick overview
| Amazon Echo | Google Nest Audio | Apple HomePod Mini | |
| Smart assistant | Alexa | Google Assistant | Siri |
| Smart home ecosystem | Alexa | Google Home | HomeKit |
| Integrated smart home hub | Zigbee | N/A | HomeKit |
| Bluetooth audio | Yes | Yes | No |
| AirPlay 2 support | N/A | N/A | Yes |
| Chromecast support | N/A | Yes | N/A |
| Size and weight | 5.7 x 5.7 x 5.2 inches, 2.1 pounds | 6.89 x 4.89 x 3.07 inches, 2.65 pounds | 3.9 x 3.3 inches, 0.76 pounds |
| Color options | Charcoal, Twilight Blue, Glacier White | Charcoal, Sand, Sage, Sky, Chalk | Blue, Orange, Space Gray, Yellow, White |
| Price | $99.99 | $99.99 | $99 |
Apple HomePod mini
(Image courtesy of Apple.com)
With a shape roughly the size of an apple, the Apple HomePod Mini is the tiniest of the leading intelligent speakers. It is simpler to fit into compact spaces than the 4th-Gen Echo or Nest Audio, and it weighs a quarter of the mass of both speakers for portability.
Apple’s smart speaker is available in white, blue, yellow, space grey, and orange, bringing the most color options. If you want a smart speaker that will stand out in your setting, you might choose the newest yellow, orange, and blue alternatives.
Siri handles HomePod Mini voice interactions – yup, the same Siri as the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. Your Apple devices can detect each other’s proximity, so when you say “Hey Siri” close to a HomePod Mini, your Apple Watch or iPhone will allow the smart speaker to respond. You can then use Siri to play music from your Apple Music collection, operate smart home gadgets, send messages, and check your schedule. You may also use HomePod Mini to make and receive phone calls. The HomePod Mini was straightforward to link with our iPhone, as the pairing procedure took approximately three minutes.
If you already have smart home gadgets that interface directly with Apple’s HomeKit framework, such as light switches, thermostats, and doorbells, you should include a HomePod Mini in the mix. A HomePod Mini enables Siri voice control and interactions and functions as a HomeKit Hub. This allows you to operate smart home gadgets when away from home.
Amazon Echo
(Image courtesy of Amazon.com)
The 4th-Generation Echo is more than just a smart speaker; its built-in Zigbee hub can assist bring smart home devices available on the internet and keep them connected. A few clicks are needed to set up more smart home devices using the Alexa app and Zigbee; the Echo then asks if you want to use Alexa to control devices. In contrast to other smart speakers, which require a separate hub for tasks such as connecting a set of Philips Hue lamps, the Echo can perform all of these tasks on a single device.
Amazon initiated the smart speaker frenzy with its own Alexa digital assistant, which, according to our tests, has proven to be the quickest to reply and most proficient. For instance, you may ask Alexa via your Echo to switch your lights on or off, execute a personalized intelligent home routine, and notify your other Alexa-enabled devices that it’s movie time.
If you frequently buy on Amazon, you can use your voice to place purchases — for example, “Alexa, get additional toilet paper” — and also get notices about Amazon delivery. When an alert is sent, you’ll hear a short chime and see a yellow LED light flashing to let you know. It is convenient but potentially a problem, especially if your child asks Alexa for the latest Lego kit.
Even though all of these speakers sound great, we determined the 4th-Gen Echo to be the most powerful and loudest. In comparison testing, it was significantly louder than the Nest Audio and HomePod Mini, and it did not distort appreciably at maximum volume.
With the Amazon Echo series, you may place audio (or video for devices that enable it, such as the Echo Show) conversations to other Echo devices and communicate with friends and family. You’ll be able to “Drop In” on a family member’s Echo device(s) anytime you need to have a brief conversation or check how their day went once they add you as an approved contact. On the other hand, you can authorize the access of loved ones to your Echo.
Google Nest Audio
(Image courtesy of bhphotovideo.com)
Using Nest Audio as an external speaker is just one of the many ways you can utilize Google Assistant to listen to your favorite music, podcast, or other audio services. You can also use an Echo as a Bluetooth speaker, whereas Apple’s HomePod Mini lacks this capability. To link Nest Audio to your smartphone, computer, or another device, simply say “Hey Google” or “Ok Google,” followed by “Connect” after the first pairing procedure.
The Nest Audio sounds quite decent out of the box, but we love that the audio can be fine-tuned using the Google Home app for iOS and Android. Amazon’s Alexa app offers a similar capability for Echo speakers, but the HomePod Mini lacks any personalization choices.
Multi-room audio is supported by all three of these speakers, but we found the Nest Audio to be the most user-friendly in terms of setting up numerous speakers. We created a more realistic stereo mix with minimum effort by pairing 2 Nest Audio units and assigning them as independent left and right speakers in under 10 seconds.
Nest Audio employs the Google Assistant for all speech interactions. This is the same assistant that Android phones and tablets use when saying “OK Google” or “Hey Google” before asking for information such as the weather or store hours. By leveraging Google Assistant, Nest Audio can look up your daily Google Calendar schedule, use Voice Match to identify who is speaking so you can receive personalized responses, and play podcasts and music from your associated streaming accounts.
Nest Audio is an obvious choice if you use the Google Home app to operate smart home devices on your iPhone or Android smartphone. You can still use the Home app on your phone. You can also use Google Assistant to control the lighting systems, modify the temperature in your home, or control any of the thousands of innovative home products that work with Google Home.
Bottom line
The decision between the three intelligent speakers begins with the type of phone you own. Both Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Assistant are compatible with Android and iOS devices, making the Echo and Google Home interchangeable. The HomePod Mini is the optimal option for Apple customers and iPhone owners.
You may then remove at minimum one option as you consider your needs and requirements for a smart speaker. The Echo is compatible with nearly all smart home products and systems, followed by Nest Audio, and the HomePod Mini’s tight connection with Apple makes it essential for iPhone users. It is also vital to consider sound quality and space – the Echo will be the loudest, while the HomePod Mini will easily slide into any setting.
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