There's a new Google Nest Mini, and while it may not look any different, Google promises its smallest and most affordable smart speaker should be louder, smarter, and more flexible. The new second-generation Mini looks just like its predecessor, a compact, circular blob that's topped with a speaker grille made from recycled plastic bottles.
Tomorrow is a big day for Google and its fans, as the company is set to reveal the Pixel 4 at long last. While the Pixel 4 will be the star of tomorrow's show, we're also expecting it to be joined by a variety of other devices. One of those devices could be the Google Nest Mini, which leaked out today, though those of you who are familiar with Google's smart speakers will likely get a strong feeling of deja vu when you see it.
A select number of Android users over the past day have seen Google show them a pop-up with an image of a Google Home Mini. This pop-up - or block, rectangle, whatever you'd like to call it - included the following text. "Enjoy a gift for using the Google Assistant," said the Google note, with the one catch: "Just pay for shipping."
Amazon isn't afraid to make a weird product, and while you can question the value of Alexa inside a microwave, there's no denying that the idea of connected appliances and other gadgets is one worth exploring as the IoT spreads. Today's big news might have been more mainstream smart speakers like the Echo Studio, along with cutting-edge experimental tech such as the Echo Frames, but that didn't mean Amazon lacked some oddball gadgetry as well.
It looks like a HomePod with a letterbox slot, but make no mistake, the Amazon Echo Studio isn't playing around when it comes to audio. Slotting in at the top end of Amazon's smart speaker line-up, the beefiest of all the Echos sets its sights on audiophiles with a Dolby Atmos tie-in.
Alexa has a new, even smaller and more convenient smart speaker to colonize your home, with Echo Flex plugging straight into an outlet. Looking more than a little bit like a plug-in air freshener, Echo Flex addresses one of the big challenges Amazon says 3D printers and DIY fans have been embracing: how can you fix up an Echo dot in a place that's not sitting it on a table or a nightstand.
Amazon is adding three new Echo smart speaker to its line-up, with a new Echo Dot with Clock, a new Echo with improved audio quality, and a new Echo Studio for audiophiles looking for an all-in-one music experience. Announced in Seattle today, at Amazon's big hardware launch, it's a big push for improving Echo's audio credentials.
Expectations were high for Sonos Move, the multi-room audio company's first portable, Bluetooth-compatible speaker. Dangerously high, you could argue: Sonos says its users have been asking for a completely wire-free speaker pretty much from day one, and that's plenty of time for an outlandish wish-list to develop. The reality of the $399 Move is that it's not quite the speaker we expected - the question is whether that's a good thing or bad.
The Google-made device called Nest Wifi was leaked this morning with a few details on expansion. Nest Wifi will require a single base router and at least one (and likely several) beacons. Nest Wifi will reportedly be like other mesh wifi systems, but with the added benefit of microphones and speakers on each beacon for use with Google Assistant.
Apple packed a lot of announcements into its iPhone reveal event yesterday, but one device that didn't get a shoutout is the AirPod. Despite that, it seems that Apple still has big plans for the speaker throughout the rest of the year. In all, there are three incoming features for the AirPod, and one in particular is something users have been asking for since the HomePod launched.
Pretty much from day one, Sonos customers have been asking for a portable speaker and one which can be taken outside: the new Sonos Move delivers both. As you might expect from the company pioneering streaming audio long before Spotify and Apple Music were even born, though, the Move is no ordinary wireless speaker. Yes, Sonos has made a Bluetooth speaker, and an expensive one at that, but it did so as only it could.
We're still waiting on Samsung to launch its Galaxy Home smart speaker, and if a new development in South Korea is any indication, it may be beaten to market by a smaller version of itself. In the time since the Galaxy Home was first revealed in August 2018, we've heard plenty of rumors that claim Samsung is also gearing up to launch a Galaxy Home Mini. Now, that oft-rumored smart speaker is entering beta testing in South Korea.