Google Home Mini vs Echo Dot: A Side-by-Side Comparison

If you’re looking for a miniature smart speaker for your kitchen counter, office space or other area in your home, you may be torn between the Google Home Mini and the Amazon Echo Dot. We understand your dilemma! Although relatively similar, there are some key differences that might influence your decision. Here’s our two cents.

Google Home Mini vs Echo Dot Price

Price is one of the biggest things to take into consideration when deciding between two similar products. When it comes to the Google Home Mini vs Echo Dot, they are similarly priced devices. Amazon sells the Echo Dot for $29.99. Google sells the Google Home Mini for $29.

Setup

The setup on each device is relatively similar. For the Google Home Mini, you plug in the speaker, download the Google Home app, and a setup should pop up right away within the app with easy-to-follow on-screen instructions to connect it to your WiFi network. The process for the Echo Dot is similar, beginning with downloading the Alexa app and hitting the “+” button in the top right-hand corner of the Devices tab. Plus: Check out this cheat sheet for Google Home commands.

Specs

Google Home Mini vs Echo Dot, regarding size, they are roughly the same, with the Echo Dot only a tiny bit taller. The Google Home Mini measures 3.86 inches x 1.65 inches and weighs 6.1 oz. The Echo Dot comes in at 3.9 inches x 1.7 inches and weighs 10.6 oz.

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While the Echo Dot features a hockey puck-shape with fabric-covered sides and button on top, the Google Home Mini has a puck-shape and encases its touch-sensitive controls beneath a fabric. The Echo Dot is available in charcoal, heather gray or sandstone. The Google Home Mini comes in chalk, charcoal, aqua or coral.

Both home automation devices must be connected to power full time, unless you use a third-party battery dock. The Echo Dot connects to its power supply with a barrel connector, while the Google Home Mini uses a USB power supply.

Next, read: Amazon Alexa vs Google Home.

Connectivity

It’s no surprise that the Echo Dot offers more features to enjoy, as it has been around much longer than the Google Home Mini. Calling features, routines, whisper mode, Blueprints (that allows you to make and publish your own Alexa skills) and more make the device a strong winner in this category. However, both devices can connect to and control many smart home products, including Philips Hue lighting, smart locks, the Nest Learning Thermostat and more. Both devices are also capable of accessing “skills” or “actions,” that provide features like reservation bookings, recipes and weather reports. One thing to note: the Google Assistant is better at finding information from the web (a leg up thanks to Google’s long history in search!).

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It truly comes down to the digital ecosystem you currently have within your home. Do you have the Amazon’s Fire TV or the Google Chromecast? If you’re an Apple fan, Alexa connects to your Apple Music account.

Sound Quality

The Google Home Mini has 360-degree sound and a 1.57-inch (40mm) driver. Meanwhile, the Echo Dot has a 1.6-inch speaker, with the third generation device featuring its largest driver yet, producing 70 percent better sound. When it comes to Google Home Mini vs Echo Dot, the Echo Dot comes out on top for sound quality because it has a slightly deeper, richer sound than its competitor. The Google Home Mini delivers louder audio with punchy bass.

Ease of Use

Here are the basics on how to set up your Amazon Echo.

Both devices work well at picking up voice commands, so long as you speak clearly and there is no major background noise. As far as design, the Echo Dot’s LED status ring and physical buttons available for volume, mic muting and activating Alexa on the top of the device make it a more desirable home automation device when compared to the Google Home Mini. The Mini features microphone muting via a rear switch along with subtle touch-sensitive volume controls on either side of the device.

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