Google Nest Mini (Chalk)

I picked this up at quite a significant discount on a Black Friday sale, so I would start by saying maybe don't pay full-price for this; wait for it to go on sale.I like this thing a lot. My house has a wifi-enabled air-conditioner which I was able to connect to the Google Home app on my phone, and now I can control it when I'm out of the house, or by yelling at my Nest Mini when I'm home. I also use it in my bedroom for playing rain sounds when I'm trying to sleep, and for turning on/off the aircon, bedroom TV (with a Chromecast connected) and the living room TV (with Xbox Series S connected).You can use it to pause media playing on a TV too, but it is a bit slow so you're better off using a remote. It's not clear to me whether the device is just normally so ... MoreI picked this up at quite a significant discount on a Black Friday sale, so I would start by saying maybe don't pay full-price for this; wait for it to go on sale.I like this thing a lot. My house has a wifi-enabled air-conditioner which I was able to connect to the Google Home app on my phone, and now I can control it when I'm out of the house, or by yelling at my Nest Mini when I'm home. I also use it in my bedroom for playing rain sounds when I'm trying to sleep, and for turning on/off the aircon, bedroom TV (with a Chromecast connected) and the living room TV (with Xbox Series S connected).You can use it to pause media playing on a TV too, but it is a bit slow so you're better off using a remote. It's not clear to me whether the device is just normally so slow to respond, or if it's my internet/wifi. I have fiber broadband from 2degrees, and a router provided by them. Your mileage may vary.It's a nice, unassuming little device with pretty good sound quality for its size. You can have it wake you up in the morning to Taylor Swift!Again, maybe wait for this to be on sale or to come down in price. Also don't use this with a power adapter or USB cord other than the one it comes with in the box; I have had one of these refurbished before and it came with a 3rd-party charging cable which made it practically useless - constantly crashing/rebooting because it can't draw enough power. This has never happened once in the week I have owned this one, with it's appropriate Google charging cable.Solid product, a little slow, cute colours though!

A Compact and Convenient Smart Speaker.

The Google Nest Mini (2nd Generation) is a compact and convenient smart speaker that is perfect for controlling your smart home devices and accessing a variety of entertainment options. With the Google Assistant built-in, you can easily control your smart lights, listen to podcasts and music, get the latest news updates, ask it questions, and set timers just by using your voice.One of the standout features of the Nest Mini is its ability to control your TV and pause and resume streaming content. This is done on my onn TV with the Google Home app, which allows you to cast content from your phone or tablet to your TV. The Nest Mini also has a Bluetooth connection to connect non Google ready devices.The Nest Mini is also a great alarm clock, also with the ability ... MoreThe Google Nest Mini (2nd Generation) is a compact and convenient smart speaker that is perfect for controlling your smart home devices and accessing a variety of entertainment options. With the Google Assistant built-in, you can easily control your smart lights, listen to podcasts and music, get the latest news updates, ask it questions, and set timers just by using your voice.One of the standout features of the Nest Mini is its ability to control your TV and pause and resume streaming content. This is done on my onn TV with the Google Home app, which allows you to cast content from your phone or tablet to your TV. The Nest Mini also has a Bluetooth connection to connect non Google ready devices.The Nest Mini is also a great alarm clock, also with the ability to set morning and night-time routines to automate multiple actions. For example, you can set a routine to turn off your smart lights and lower the thermostat as you go to bed, and turn on your smart lights and start your coffee maker as you wake up.Overall, the Google Nest Mini (2nd Generation) is a versatile and easy-to-use smart speaker that is perfect for anyone looking to control their smart home devices and access a wide range of entertainment options. I hope this helps!

Compact and Powerful: The Nest Mini (2nd Gen)

The Nest Mini (2nd Generation) with Google Assistant in Chalk is a compact and stylish smart speaker that provides an excellent user experience. The upgraded speaker provides crisp and clear sound quality, making it a great choice for listening to music or audio books.Google Assistant integration is seamless, allowing for hands-free access to information, control over smart devices, and the ability to perform a variety of tasks simply by using your voice. The device is also compatible with Google Cast, allowing you to stream music and audio content directly from your phone or tablet.The compact design of the Nest Mini makes it a versatile device that can be placed anywhere in your home. The chalk color provides a sleek and modern look, making it a great addition ... MoreThe Nest Mini (2nd Generation) with Google Assistant in Chalk is a compact and stylish smart speaker that provides an excellent user experience. The upgraded speaker provides crisp and clear sound quality, making it a great choice for listening to music or audio books.Google Assistant integration is seamless, allowing for hands-free access to information, control over smart devices, and the ability to perform a variety of tasks simply by using your voice. The device is also compatible with Google Cast, allowing you to stream music and audio content directly from your phone or tablet.The compact design of the Nest Mini makes it a versatile device that can be placed anywhere in your home. The chalk color provides a sleek and modern look, making it a great addition to any home decor.Overall, the Nest Mini (2nd Generation) with Google Assistant is an excellent choice for those looking for a compact and powerful smart speaker. The integration with Google Assistant and Google Cast make it a versatile and convenient device for controlling your smart home and accessing information.

David's review of Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen) Smart Display with Google Assistant - Chalk

Pros: Screen looks nice. Voice control works with smart lights.Cons: Touch screen is terribly unresponsive by today's standards. Very unintuitive to set up properly so I gave up.As an example of its logic, at one point it only lets you get to a setting by using voice control but then only lets you choose the following option using touch control. As it's also sluggish in operation you can easily hit the wrong touch button and then there's no option to go back. So you have to start again with a completely illogical sequence.Hence the following examples of things I don't like, may be due to not having been set up properly.Anyway, it only reads my main Google calendar not my sub or associated calenders, which makes it useless to check my agenda.I can't set up the ... MorePros: Screen looks nice. Voice control works with smart lights.Cons: Touch screen is terribly unresponsive by today's standards. Very unintuitive to set up properly so I gave up.As an example of its logic, at one point it only lets you get to a setting by using voice control but then only lets you choose the following option using touch control. As it's also sluggish in operation you can easily hit the wrong touch button and then there's no option to go back. So you have to start again with a completely illogical sequence.Hence the following examples of things I don't like, may be due to not having been set up properly.Anyway, it only reads my main Google calendar not my sub or associated calenders, which makes it useless to check my agenda.I can't set up the screen to show exactly what I want e.g. agenda on one half, notifications on the other.I can't show photos from my local server only those that are stored on Google Photos. I can only show a single Google Photo album album as a screen saver not all my Google photos.The voice commands are not intuitive so you'll have to memorize any you want to use. In other words it will only be useful if you intend to use the voice commands frequently enough to remember them.The automated routines (morning, evening, etc) are another example of big tech companies thinking they know what we want to do better than we know.Mine nearly went into the bin after several hours of trying to get it to do anything useful. I've kept it but only ever use it to turn my smart lights on and off.

Do not buy this item.

I have had this item for about two or three years now. I purchased this a while back when moving into my apartment and I can tel you that it is not worth the money. I have had this sitting on top of a bathroom counter just stored away. It worked well the first couple of times but eventually I begun having problems with it. It wouldn’t connect properly too my iPhone when using Bluetooth. It would disconnect from my iPhone for no apparent reason. I tried reconnecting it as well as trying to have too reset the entire settings because apparently my iPhone “couldn’t be paired”. As well as for what music goes even without using blutooth I tried listening too music with the free service the speaker offers and it would still disconnect for no apparent reason. I have tried ... MoreI have had this item for about two or three years now. I purchased this a while back when moving into my apartment and I can tel you that it is not worth the money. I have had this sitting on top of a bathroom counter just stored away. It worked well the first couple of times but eventually I begun having problems with it. It wouldn’t connect properly too my iPhone when using Bluetooth. It would disconnect from my iPhone for no apparent reason. I tried reconnecting it as well as trying to have too reset the entire settings because apparently my iPhone “couldn’t be paired”. As well as for what music goes even without using blutooth I tried listening too music with the free service the speaker offers and it would still disconnect for no apparent reason. I have tried reconnecting it and restarting the whole process from start and the speaker will still not work. As well as for sound this speaker is garbage the sound is as loud as I thought it would be. I strongly recommend if your going too spend money on something I recommend buying the new Alexa (echo dot 5th generation ) speaker. Totally much for better and better quality sound and bass.

Inferior to Echo Dots and the Alexa ecosystem.

I decided to switch from the Alexa ecosystem to the Google assistant ecosystem because there were some annoyances with Alexa. I was excited to try the mini's because I read good reviews and read that the GA ecosystem was better than Alexa. However, after using them for a week I realized a few things. First, the Google nest mini audio was not even close to the audio of the 3rd generation dot let alone the 5th generation. The build quality was similar but the echo's are much heavy denoting a larger magnet and more solid state design. Another annoyance was the voices. You can change the voices but they don't sound as natural as the voices on the Alexa. The biggest problem I had was the google home app. It's terrible. The GUI is terrible, it's hard to use and ... MoreI decided to switch from the Alexa ecosystem to the Google assistant ecosystem because there were some annoyances with Alexa. I was excited to try the mini's because I read good reviews and read that the GA ecosystem was better than Alexa. However, after using them for a week I realized a few things. First, the Google nest mini audio was not even close to the audio of the 3rd generation dot let alone the 5th generation. The build quality was similar but the echo's are much heavy denoting a larger magnet and more solid state design. Another annoyance was the voices. You can change the voices but they don't sound as natural as the voices on the Alexa. The biggest problem I had was the google home app. It's terrible. The GUI is terrible, it's hard to use and disorganized. I preferred the alexa app much more on my iphone. With all of this I decided after using them for a week that I would return them. I'm back using alexa dots and I'm happy with the decision.

Love These! I have 4!

The Nest Mini (2nd Generation) with Google Assistant in Coral is a great upgrade from the previous generation. The sound quality has been improved, and it's louder and clearer than before. The Google Assistant is also more responsive and accurate, making it easy to control your smart devices, play music, and get answers to your questions.The design of the device is also very modern and sleek. The coral color is a nice touch that adds a pop of color to any room. The Nest Mini (2nd Generation) is also small and compact, making it easy to place it anywhere in your home.The device is easy to set up and integrate with other smart devices, like lights, thermostats, and security cameras. The Nest app is user-friendly and makes it easy to control and monitor your ... MoreThe Nest Mini (2nd Generation) with Google Assistant in Coral is a great upgrade from the previous generation. The sound quality has been improved, and it's louder and clearer than before. The Google Assistant is also more responsive and accurate, making it easy to control your smart devices, play music, and get answers to your questions.The design of the device is also very modern and sleek. The coral color is a nice touch that adds a pop of color to any room. The Nest Mini (2nd Generation) is also small and compact, making it easy to place it anywhere in your home.The device is easy to set up and integrate with other smart devices, like lights, thermostats, and security cameras. The Nest app is user-friendly and makes it easy to control and monitor your devices.Overall, I would highly recommend the Nest Mini (2nd Generation) with Google Assistant in Coral to anyone looking for a powerful and convenient smart speaker. It's a great addition to any smart home and provides a great value for the price.

Saying "Hey Google" gets old fast

Long term review: I put 4 of these in my apartment 2 years ago, one in every zone to give it every chance to be maximally helpful.For the most part, it's fine. The audio is very good for its size. I've integrated many of its features into my life. Tying it into Google Keep is great for lists. Standing in the kitchen and staring into the cupboard whilst asking it to add cerial to my shopping list feels like the future we were promised. Using it for timers is very useful. Reminders are great. Combined with the Google Home app, it is a key part of several daily routines. Add some smart lights and WiFi power points and this thing is key to making a smart home smart.However:Having to say "Hey Google" absolutely kills me. This one aspect of the Nest devices makes me ... MoreLong term review: I put 4 of these in my apartment 2 years ago, one in every zone to give it every chance to be maximally helpful.For the most part, it's fine. The audio is very good for its size. I've integrated many of its features into my life. Tying it into Google Keep is great for lists. Standing in the kitchen and staring into the cupboard whilst asking it to add cerial to my shopping list feels like the future we were promised. Using it for timers is very useful. Reminders are great. Combined with the Google Home app, it is a key part of several daily routines. Add some smart lights and WiFi power points and this thing is key to making a smart home smart.However:Having to say "Hey Google" absolutely kills me. This one aspect of the Nest devices makes me want to switch ecosystems every. single. day. Why must I speak the name of our corporate overlords to turn on a light?! It's so awful.It can be very slow to respond, not always, but frequently I'll wait several seconds for it to finally turn on a light (my WiF is fine). Lights are better set up in routines because of this, but it's a frustration often enough.It often mishears you and starts giving you details of a local business whose name sounds vaguely like a keyword in the prompt you just gave.. they're Google ads but in your home, and it's currently happening instead of the thing you want.Technically it's fine. Good enough. Useful, even. In practice, I recommend trying either of the two big competitors before this one.

This thing is like my R2-D2

Purchased from MI, came in 2 days! I love this device so much that I have 3 in my house. I'm in my 20s with Narcolepsy and the nest is perfect for a busy brain and life. I set up multiple routines and bells on it that remind me to do my workouts, litter, laundry, and other house tasks that are easy to forget/procrastinate on. Great sound quality for music too. I also recommend this for those that deal with mental health struggles largely on their own. You can make it ask you random questions throughout the day to keep you mentally grounded and log your state in a journal. I was even able to program it to set timers by saying a code word for when I go on social media to prevent unnecessary wormholes. Sometimes if I can't get up due to my disability, I can tell it to ... MorePurchased from MI, came in 2 days! I love this device so much that I have 3 in my house. I'm in my 20s with Narcolepsy and the nest is perfect for a busy brain and life. I set up multiple routines and bells on it that remind me to do my workouts, litter, laundry, and other house tasks that are easy to forget/procrastinate on. Great sound quality for music too. I also recommend this for those that deal with mental health struggles largely on their own. You can make it ask you random questions throughout the day to keep you mentally grounded and log your state in a journal. I was even able to program it to set timers by saying a code word for when I go on social media to prevent unnecessary wormholes. Sometimes if I can't get up due to my disability, I can tell it to broadcast a message to another room where someone has called out for me and respond that way/ask for help. The only cons are that you can't make calls with it that well, and texts you can't send at all. That part is kind of confusing to set up for me as a whole. The other one is that the nest kind of butchers your words when you add things to a list or notes. It often cuts me off before I'm done speaking and creates more lists/notes than necessary.