Google Home Mini, Home Max Expand Google's AI Smart Speaker Assault Against Amazon Echo
The Google Home Mini was announced is a direct answer to the popular Amazon Echo Dot and is priced at just $49. While the device can playback music, that's not its primary focus. Google instead hopes that the lower price point and the "low impact" design will make you want to spread Google Assistant goodness throughout your home. Google gave the example of placing a Google Home Mini in a nursery to play white noise to soothe a baby to sleep. The device is capable of connecting wirelessly to Chromecast-enabled devices and will be available in three color options (Chalk, Coral, Charcoal).
The Google Home Mini is available for preorder today and will be available at major retail locations on October 19th.
But what if the Google Home Mini is simply too small, and the Google Home doesn't provide rich enough sound for your tastes? Well, that's where the Google Home Max comes into play. The Google Home Max feature two 4.5-inch woofers (along with custom 0.7-inch tweeters) and used artificial intelligence to its tailor its sounds to whatever room that it is placed within. This functionality will put the speaker toe-to-toe with the Apple HomePod. Google also says that the speaker is 20 times more powerful than the original Google Home.
Google Home Max of course supports the Google Assistant, Google Cast, and can connect wirelessly with Bluetooth devices. There's also an included 3.5mm jack for physically connecting to your devices. Google Home Max is priced at $399 and includes a 1-year subscription to add-free YouTube Music. It goes on sale in December, and will available in either Chalk or Charcoal.
