Although Google replaced the Home Mini with the Nest Mini two years after its debut in 2017, the affordable smart speaker has remained available on sale. However, Google has now finally discontinued the Home Mini four years after its launch.
According to a recent report from 9to5Google, the Google Home Mini is now out of stock on the Google Store. While its listing is still live, it now states: “No longer available.” So, if you’re in the market for an affordable Assistant-powered smart speaker, the Nest Mini is your only option. But that isn’t a bad thing by any means, as the Nest Mini packs several improvements over the original Home Mini.
XDA-Developers VIDEO OF THE DAYScreenshots: 9to5Google
The Nest Mini offers 2x stronger bass, a third far-field microphone, an ultrasonic sensing feature that automatically lights up the volume LEDs when approached, wall mounting support, and a machine learning chip for faster processing. It’s currently available for purchase at BestBuy at a discounted price of just $24.99. The Nest Mini comes in four colorways — Charcoal, Sky, Coral, and Chalk.
If you’re willing to spend a bit extra, you can get your hands on a Nest Audio smart speaker for $74.99 on BestBuy right now. It has a slightly larger form factor, better audio output, a triple far-field microphone setup, and more processing power. The Nest Audio comes in five color variants — Charcoal, Sky, Sage, Sand, and Chalk. You can check out our in-depth review of the Nest Audio before picking one up.
Alternatively, you can pick up an Alexa-powered Echo smart speaker if you’re not completely invested in the Google Assistant ecosystem. Amazon has quite a few options on offer, ranging from the affordable Echo Dot (4th Gen) to the high-end Echo Studio.
Do you own a Google Home Mini? What’s your favorite affordable smart speaker? Let us know in the comments section below.