Google Home Mini: 3 Things to Know

Google has a new way for you to search the internet and control your entire smart home. It’s called Google Home Mini.

The Google Home Mini is a $49.99 microphone and speaker system. Really, it’s a smaller version of the Google Home device that launched in 2016. You ask it to do searches for you and it gets you the information you asked for. Tell it to turn off any Google Home compatible accessory and it does. This new Google Home accessory launches on October 19th.

Here are three things that you need to know about the new Google Home Mini now.

Google Home Mini Features

If you like the things that Google Home does, you will like the Google Home Mini’s features line-up.

Google Home Mini lets you access the Google Assistant in rooms where the original Google Home wasn’t necessary or stood out. It’s about the size of a small river rock and the top of the device is covered in a mesh that helps it blend in with other objects in your home.

Read: Google Home Review: Compared to Amazon Echo

White indicator lights shine through the top of the device and it comes in red, black and gray. A mic switch on the bottom of the device lets you tell it to stop listening for the “Okay, Google” keyword when you don’t want to use the virtual assistant. That’s the only physical switch or button that’s on the device. Its mesh top is touch sensitive and acts as the only physical way to control volume and audio playback. Tapping on the left side of its mesh top turns the volume down. Tapping the right side of the mesh increases volume. Google will sell black and white models everywhere, but the Coral Google Mini is exclusive to the Google Store.

Google Home Mini has far-field voice communication so that it can hear you across a room. It also supports Bluetooth and connects to Wi-Fi networks.

The Google Home Mini does have speakers, but they aren’t as large as the regular Google Home. Besides playing music from Google Play Music and YouTube Red, Google Home Mini accepts voice commands and provides answers to any question that you ask it. The device can send video to Google Chromecast and audio to any speaker that has Chromecast Audio support.

Read: Amazon Eco vs Google Home: Alexa or Ok Google?

Google Home Mini also handles your personal life. You can use it to schedule reminders and check appointments. Voice calling lets you call friends and family directly from the device. Multiple user support keeps it from confusing your information with someone else’s personal details.

Google Home Mini Price

To truly be useful, users need the Google Assistant wherever they are, and a low price is key to that. The Google Home Mini costs just $49.99. This means that you can outfit an entire home with the Google Assistant for far less than it would cost you to put a regular Google Home in every room of your house. For comparison, a regular Google Home costs $149.99. You could get three Home Mini devices for the same price as the original unit.

Google Home Mini Release Date & Pre-Orders

The Google Home Mini release date is on October 19th, and Google says that it will be available at Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Staples, B & H, The Home Depot and Verizon.

You don’t have to wait until then to buy the device. Google Home Mini pre-orders started on October 4th. Right now, anyone can pre-order the device ahead of release in the Google Store. Pre-ordering guarantees that you get one on launch day when supplies are usually scarce.

Read: Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL Release Date Breakdown

One Google Home Mini deal is already available. When you buy a Google Pixel 2 or Google Pixel 2 XL, Google will give you a free Google Home Mini. This deal lasts from October 4th until October 19th. You need to buy your Google Pixel 2 and wait for a promotional code to use when you buy your Google Home Mini.