Google Home Mini vs Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen) – Which one is good?
Entertainment and particularly music makes you relax after a tiresome day. That is why you should purchase a powerful smart speaker. Smart speakers stand out from normal stereos for various reasons. They are portable in that you can place them at different places within the house. Most smart speakers are also easy to use when compared to stereos.
Has your search for a smart speaker narrowed down to either Google Home Mini or Amazon Echo Dot? Ensure you compare these two smart speakers in various aspects before making a decision. This ensures you choose a smart speaker that meets your entertainment needs.
 |  |
|---|---|
| Google Home Mini | Amazon Echo Dot |
| BUY NOW | BUY NOW |
| PROS | PROS |
| It is portable. It has Google digital assistant. It has a modern design. It has Bluetooth. | It has Amazon Alexa assistant. It has an audio output jack. It has a powerful bass. It is easy to setup and use. |
| CONS | CONS |
| It has a weak bass. It lacks a battery, making it only suitable for home. | It lacks a battery. It is only limited to medium sized and small rooms. |
Google Home Mini
Google Home Mini smart speaker has Google digital assistant that allows users to use their voice to control it. Therefore, you don’t have to physically touch the speaker anytime you want to play music. Google Home Mini smart speaker has microphones that help Google digital assistant get commands.
This smart speaker can be connected to wireless internet. You will be in a position to stream music from different platforms. Google digital assistant makes it easy to stream audio from different platforms like Deezer, spotify; Pandora and Google music play, among others.
Google Home Mini smart speaker has Bluetooth that can be connected to compatible speakers and mobile phones. You will be in a position to play music from the paired device if you are within the 50 meters radius. This speaker doesn’t have a rechargeable battery. Instead, it has comes with a power cord that should be connected to a socket anytime you want to play music. This makes Google Home Mini smart speaker favorable for closed door use.
You can also use this speaker for multi-room sharing. This is one of the ways you can fill music in your house. Multi-room sharing allows you to the same song in different rooms. The weight of Google Home Mini smart speaker is lightweight. Therefore, you will be in a position to carry this speaker around.
Amazon Echo Dot
Amazon Echo Dot smart speaker has Amazon Alexa digital assistant. It takes voice commands through microphones and immediately executes them. This means you can operate Amazon Echo Dot speaker without physically touching it. You can connect this speaker with other devices that have Bluetooth. This allows some people to play music from their paired mobile phones to the speaker. Your phone should be within range for the Bluetooth connection to be strong.
Amazon Echo Dot speaker can be connected to Wi-Fi internet connection. This allows you to stream music from different online platforms using Alexa assistant. Sirius XM, iHeartRadio, Deezer, spotify, Pandora and Amazon music are some platforms you can stream music.
This speaker doesn’t have a battery. Therefore, it should be connected to power through an adapter anytime you want to use it. The power cord is 1.5 meters long, allowing users to use it in different rooms. Amazon Echo Dot speaker is among the light smart speakers. This allows users to carry it within and outside the house.
Amazon Echo Dot speaker can also be used in multi-room sharing as one of the speakers.
Design
Google Home Mini smart speaker has a circular design that gives it a unique look. The design makes it stable only when placed only upright. You will also notice this speaker us lightweight when you lift it upward. This smart speaker has fabric at the top part. The fabric can come in different colors. It can be chalk, charcoal or coral. Choose a fabric color that will match with the setting of your house.
You will notice a microphone mute button at the side of Google Home Mini smart speaker. The microphone can be switched off if you don’t want Google digital assistant to listen in. This offers some sort of privacy. There is also a power adapter at the side of the speaker. Therefore, the position of your Google Home Mini smart speaker won’t be affected when you connect it to a socket.
The top of the smart speaker is tap-sensitive. Tapping the sides of the top part can reduce or ad volume, depending on the side. A tap at the middle part of the top part can play/pause music. You can also activate Google digital assistant by tapping the top part. Pay attention to four LED lights at the top of the speaker. The lights will glow to symbolize Google digital assistant is listening in. The fabric at the top of the speaker protects a full range driver and microphones from damage.
You will notice the circular shape of Amazon Echo Dot speaker with round edges. Its shape recommends users to place it on in an upright position for stability. You will notice a fabric grille on the sides of Amazon Echo Dot speaker. The grille brings out a modern look. It also protects the driver and microphone from damage.
The fabric of Amazon echo Dot speaker comes in different colors. It can be sandstone, heather grey or charcoal. You will spot some four buttons at the top your speaker. There are two volume buttons. One is for volume up and the other one is for volume down. You will also see the Alexa and microphone mute buttons. These buttons should be manually operated.
Beneath the buttons, there are four in-built microphones that help Alexa clearly hear voice commands. You may spot a ring light at the top part of your Amazon Echo Dot smart speaker. This is an indication that Alexa is active and listening to voice commands.
There is a power adapter port on the sides of Amazon Echo Dot smart speaker. This means you can charge the speaker without moving it. You will also see an auxiliary jack that can be used to connect the speaker with other speakers.
Audio
Google Home Mini Smart speaker has microphones that help Google digital assistant hear voice commands and immediately execute them. The microphones can also filter a noisy background so that voice commands are clear. You will also be in a position to play different audio formats with this speaker. OGG Vorbis, MP3, FLAC, AAC and WAV are some audio formats you can play with this speaker.
Google Home Mini Smart speaker comes with a full range driver. The full range has a diameter of 40mm and has a low frequency of between 60-70 Hz. This smart speaker also has an always active integrated audio amplifier. That is the reason its sound doesn’t change and is always quality anytime you play music. The design of Google Home Mini smart speaker makes it project sound around the room.
You can clearly hear the beats of a song if you are using the speaker in either medium sized or small room. Google Home Mini smart speaker can also be used in multi-room sharing as one of the speakers. This feature allows you to wirelessly play similar song in different rooms.
Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen) smart speaker has an audio output jack that can be used to connect to more powerful speakers. Therefore, you can comfortably enjoy filling sound anytime using the audio output jack. This smart speaker can also be used as one of the speakers in multi-room sharing. You will be in a position to enjoy songs in all room wirelessly.
This smart speaker has 1.6 inch driver that allows it to project quality sound in both a medium sized and small sized room. Its powerful bass can be heard around the room. You will also be in a position to adjust the equalizer settings to match the quality sound you want to hear. The integrated amplifier also improves the sound quality of this speaker. Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen) smart speaker also has in-built microphones that filter noisy backgrounds for voice commands to be clearly heard. The microphones can also hear voice commands from a distance.
Amazon Echo dot (3rd Gen) smart speaker also allows you to play different audio formats. MP3, AAC, FLAC, OGG and HLS are some audio formats you can play with your speaker.
Battery
Google Home Mini smart speaker favors indoors usage because it doesn’t have a battery. It should be plugged into power through an adapter anytime you want to play music. The power cord of Google Home Mini is 5 feet long. You can comfortably use it in different rooms and on surfaces that are far from the socket.
The power cord has an input voltage of 100-240V, 50-60 Hz. Google Home Mini smart speaker is safe to use when connected to power because of the material used on the cord. It protects users from over-voltage and internal heating.
Amazon Echo dot smart speaker should also be connected to power anytime you want to use. Its cord is 5 feet long, allowing users to use it in different rooms without straining your speaker. The input voltage of this smart speaker is 10-240V 50/60 Hz. Consequently, its output voltage is 15V 1.4A. You will notice the high quality material used on the power cord. It is not easy to get damaged and is bend resistant.
Connection
Google Home Mini has two connection methods. It can be connected to Wi-Fi internet connection that allows users to stream songs in audio through Google digital assistant. Once Google Home Mini smart speaker is connected to the internet, you will be able to enjoy music from different platforms. Pandora, iHeartRadio, spotify, Deezer and Google music play are some audio streaming platforms you can access.
This smart speaker also has Bluetooth version 4.1 that can be used to pair with mobile devices and compatible speakers. A device should be within the 50 meters radius for the Bluetooth connection to be strong. The transfer of data from this speaker to another device is 1Mbps. Google Home Mini speaker allows you to play music directly from your phone once it is paired through Bluetooth.
Amazon Echo Dot smart speaker can be connected to a powerful speaker through the audio output jack. This helps users who always want their rooms filled with music. You can also connect your Amazon Echo Dot smart speaker with other devices through Bluetooth. This allows you to connect with speakers, phone and other devices. Once connected, you will be in a position to use the paired device such as playing music. Any device should be within the recommended 50 meters range to be paired and make it easy to transfer data.
This smart speaker can also be connected to wireless internet connection. If connected, you will be in a position to play audio music from different audio platforms such as Sirius XM, Amazon Music, spotify and Pandora, among others. A strong wireless internet is recommended to prevent buffering.
Weight
Google Home Mini smart speaker is among the light weight speakers. It weighs only 0.55 lbs. This will give anyone an easy and simple time carrying it on the hands or packing it on the bag.
Google Home Mini smart speaker has a height of 1.5 inches, width of 4 inch and diameter of 4.25 inches. The above dimensions offer stability when handling the speaker by reducing the possibility of falling down.
Amazon Echo Dot smart speaker weighs 0.66 lbs. This makes it also be listed among the light smart speakers you can easily pack in your bag or with your hands. The dimensions of this speaker also makes it user friendly.
The height of this speaker is 1.7 inches. The width of the speaker is 3.9 inches, whereas its diameter is 3.9 inches.
Control
Google Home Mini smart speaker has Google digital assistant you can use to control it. You have to give Google digital assistant voice commands anytime you want to operate your Google Home Mini smart speaker. This means you don’t have to physically touch the speaker to operate it. In-built microphones are well placed to ensure Google digital assistant always hears voice commands.
The Google Home application is another way you can control your Google Home mini smart speaker. This application can be downloaded on android phones and those using iOS operating system. The application is easy to use.
The tap interface and the microphone mute button is another way you can control this smart speaker. You must personally tap the top of the speaker for commands to be executed when the speaker is powered on.
Amazon Echo Dot smart speaker can be controlled through Amazon Alexa application. The application can be downloaded on both apple and Google stores. You should install it to start using it.
The use of Amazon Alexa is another way you can control your Amazon Echo Dot smart speaker. There are microphones inside the speaker that listen to voice commands within a reasonable radius. This feature means you can control the speaker without getting near it.
Amazon Echo Dot Smart speaker has physical buttons on top. These buttons can be used to manually operate the speaker. You have to press a button for a desired command.
Mobile Usage
The Google Home Mini smart speaker only supports calls for contacts stored on your phone’s contact list if paired through Bluetooth.
Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen) smart speaker supports both calls and texts when the phone is connected to it through Bluetooth. Texts and calls are only restricted to contacts saved on the phone.
Verdict
Amazon Echo Dot smart speaker outshines Google Home Mini smart speaker in numerous ways. It has a powerful bass and its voice assistant is more powerful and reliable. The sound quality of Amazon Echo Dot speaker is also impressive.
